A CHARITY which said it suffered financially for having too broad a spectrum is celebrating a tie-up with a major supermarket.

Home-Start Hillingdon works with families who are battling issues ranging from depression, to financial troubles and health issues.

The small team is based at All Saints Church in Long Lane, Hillingdon, and are currently recruiting volunteers.

They have been given a boost by being chosen as 'charity of the year' by Sainsbury's in York Road, Uxbridge.

Their fundraising campaign will begin with a tombola to be held at the store on August 19.

Linda Trueman, scheme manager, said: "We are a charity which trains volunteers to provide home-visiting support to families, with at least one child under five years old, who are struggling with some type of difficulty.

"We support families who you may pass in the street and never imagine they need help when the reality is very different.

"Financially it has been hard recently, a couple of our grants came to an end, and all the charities are competing for the same pots of money.

"As our remit is so broad it puts us at a disadvantage, but we have been here over 12 years, and want to continue. Being chosen by Sainsbury's is huge for us."

To find out more about volunteering with Home-Start, call 01895252804.