HUNDREDS of struggling parents in Monmouthshire will receive support after a charity was given £276,182 of funding to help them.

The money comes from the Big Lottery fund and will allow Home-Start to help parents in the local authority area who are struggling because of things like poverty, isolation, illness, lone-parenting, multiple births and teen pregnancies.

There are already 140 volunteers supporting 288 families in Gwent, with Home-Start groups based in Newport, Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly East in Blackwood.

Each group costs around £70,000 a year to run and the £276,182 of funding means a group will be created in Monmouthshire, initially for three years.

The money will partly go on employing a full-time manager and part-time administrator and co-ordinator.

These will recruit and train volunteers in the Monmouthshire area, before matching them with parents who need help.

Chairman of trustees at Home-Start Monmouthshire, John Waters said he was "thrilled" with the award at a time when many charities are having funding cut, saying the group will "be a positive contribution to the Monmouthshire community".

He said: "It has been a steering group in Monmouthshire for the last two years and a lot of time, energy and commitment has been put into setting up this latest branch of Home-Start."

The new group will start recruiting staff and volunteers to help families in the area from the autumn. These will offer advice, counselling and help.

When this process has been completed, it will then begin looking for a suitable base in the local authority area.

For details of Home-Start Monmouthshire, visit home-start.org.uk or call 08000686368.