A new parent support group is due to launch in Cheltenham next week.

The group has been set up by local group Inspiring Families, a project involving a partnership of different organisations that work to support local families.

With the sessions free to attend, local parents are encouraged to visit on a drop-in basis to seek advice from the many volunteers employed by Inspiring Families.

Launched in 2009, the Inspiring Families project has helped many local families in the Cheltenham area by working with the community to help support them.

With the help of the volunteers, Inspiring Families looks to help parents who may be embarrassed to admit their struggles to close friends and family, by introducing them to other parents in similar situations.

“Essentially our place came out from an idea of having somewhere local in Cheltenham where parents can get together, talk about anything to do with family life and maybe get some helpful advice.”

Abbey Smith, Project Manager of Inspiring Families, is delighted that the group is being launched and hopes that it will prove a great help for struggling families.

“Some people have really good friends and family members nearby, but some people don’t have that same luxury, so we try and make an effort to welcome anybody along so they receive the necessary support.”

With one of the sessions seeing a special First Aid course for children ran by the Red Cross, Smith is hopeful that these types of sessions will make a real difference.

“First Aid especially around children and babies is something you don’t really come across, especially for free.

The Red Cross have a special scheme for Gloucestershire, of delivering first aid that is really easy to understand and remember.”

St. Paul’s Hub will be the venue for the support group, with the first session due to be held at 10am on Thursday 6th November.