With teenage pregnancies in Britain the highest in Europe, and Swindon having higher than average levels, a lunch club to support young mums is being relaunched

Michelle Sutton, now 28, had her first child at 17 when she was in care. Suddenly taking on adult responsibilities was very hard she says, but being able to join The Grub Club support group at the West Swindon Family and Community Project helped her cope.

Now she wants to provide support for young mums under the age of 21 by restarting a lunch club that has been closed for four years.

The Grub Club ran for five years in the early 1990s, but shut for lack of funding. Now a grant has been received from the Wiltshire Community Foundation to pay for a free creche and Michelle is keen for teenagers to join her.

"The Grub Club was a life saver for me when my first child was small," said Michelle, who became a volunteer with the family project after the club closed. "I've dreamt about restarting the Grub Club for a long time and when we applied for a grant, the foundation remembered me from last time.

"It's a shock for girls who get pregnant, for whatever reason. They suddenly change from being a child to an adult and they have no experience of caring for a baby. Their parents often help them, but teenagers can become cut off from their friends and feel resentful at losing their freedom."

From her experience Michelle knows that young mums require support specific to their age group. The Grub Club will meet on a Thursday lunch time at the family project in Freshbrook where members will help prepare a meal together. They will also suggest who might be invited to discuss issues which affect young parents, such as child care and making benefit claims, and also organise social activities and outings.

If you have a child and are under 21, call the West Swindon Family Project on 871303.