First Capital Connect (FCC) has announced that it will be supporting a St Albans based family support charity, Home-Start, in its activities around Hertfordshire.

Home-Start provides support to families with young children and volunteers provide support to parents when bringing up their children.

FCC has agreed to support the St Albans Home-Start scheme and will help to arrange fundraising events at its stations, donate raffle prizes, and organise days out on the FCC network for the families they support.

FCC first supported Home-Start in December 2012 when St Albans resident Andy West as part of a Landmark Education program joined with the local Home-Start office and asked St Albans and Harpenden commuters to donate Christmas presents for children in Home-Start supported families.

Sally Patterson, manager at Home-Start St Albans, said: "FCC has been extremely supportive to us, and has been pro-active in suggesting various ways it could support our work across the county.

"This initiative will see local commuters becoming more aware of the vital work we do with families, through information displays at the stations. Schemes will benefit from money raised at the stations, through events such as carol singing at Christmas.

"And families who might not otherwise afford it, will have the opportunity of a day out on the train, all thanks to the generosity of FCC. We can’t thank them enough."

FCC will also support Home Start schemes in Borehamwood, Hatfield and Stevenage.