Be a Home-Start Volunteer
No matter how much spare time you have each week or even every month, we have a volunteering opportunity to suit you! If you have an interest in supporting a young family, a dad, step dad or grandparent then we need you and your spare time. Home-Start are always looking for new volunteers to join us. If you have an understanding of how hard parenting can be then you have all the skills needed.
No special qualifications are necessary to become a Home-Start volunteer, volunteers normally have parenting experience and an interest in, and experience of, young children and family life. We welcome volunteers from all sections of the community.
Volunteers undergo a free preparation course prior to volunteering to give you all the extra skills and knowledge you will need to support a family. Volunteers are able to take up additional training opportunities, both internally as well as external courses such as Paediatric First Aid and Mental Health First Aid as well as local authority approved safeguarding training.
If you are looking for a way to build your CV, looking for work in a family support, social care or early years background or just want to find a way to utilise your own life experience, then volunteering for us can give you the opportunity to support your local community and get so much out of the experience yourself.
Leave an indelible mark on the landscape of tomorrow.
What it takes to be Home-Start Volunteer
Do you have what it takes to be a Home-Start volunteer?
Are keen to help parents and children in your community?
Please email us, to start your journey transforming lives in your area
or click to submit an online enquiry form
You must have some form of parenting experience either through your own children, work or study.
As a Home-Start volunteer you will support a family by visiting them at home for around two to three hours once a week, or by phone, or in a group setting every month.
You should be able to commit at least one year of your time to Home-Start.
You should have a non-judgmental attitude and understand about the pressures of bringing up a family.
You will have to attend our free Volunteer Preparation Course with other new volunteers before meeting your first family.
When coming for training or visiting a family, travel expenses are paid.
You must understand that your support for families is completely confidential.
You will have to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check at enhanced level.
You will meet regularly with, and be supported by, one of our Coordinators during the time you are visiting families.
Lucy’s Story – How volunteering for others helped me too.
I began volunteering for Home-start while having CBT for anxiety. At the time I was already volunteering at a primary school and Home-start was introduced to me to encourage me out of my comfort zone. Right from my first training session I never felt pressured to do something that I was not comfortable with or ready to do. Even though I was there to help families I felt like I could still say no to something and not feel like I was being judged negatively. It was always clear to me that as a volunteer I was just as important as the families I was going to be helping.
My time at Home-start was packed with opportunities to get me out of the house and meeting new people. I was given a purpose to be around others and took on every chance could. Not only was I with individual families but I was able to help at a family group and join in with family activity days. Even the training sessions provided me with time to socialise, occasionally going out with the ladies I met and attending some coffee mornings.
The families I have been linked with were very similar to myself. Seeing anxiety and worries from another perspective helped me understand anxiety a lot more. It made me want to step up and present myself more confidently because I wanted to help, I wanted them to go away feeling confident too. It was all a bit daunting and sometimes I was so quiet that I didn’t feel like I was doing much. However, the feedback from the coordinators at the end of a link gave me a real sense of accomplishment. It made me feel proud knowing that I’d made a difference.
I also had the pleasure of being invited to work with one of the playgroups. While here I was asked to plan and prepare my own activities. This really boosted my confidence in my own ability to take the lead, especially when doing anything creative. It reemphasised to me that my ideas were fun and good enough to be implemented. Something which I can now continue without hesitation through my work at an after-school club.
Ultimately, Home-start has played a major role in my personal journey. When I first started, I was crippled with anxiety. I hardly left the house and when I did it was often with my mum. I was unemployed too which only fuelled the way I was feeling. Now, 4 years along I can go out alone to meet people old and new, without the back up of others. When new opportunities arise, I still get scared, but I no longer let it put me off I go ahead and give it a try anyway. To top it off I now work full time in three different roles at a primary school, one of which was achieved after two failed interviews. I don’t think that any of this would have been possible without the opportunities, support and encouragement that I received. I am so grateful that everyone at Home-start had faith in me when I didn’t believe in myself and gave me this chance to grow.
Other ways you can help . . . . .
Publicise Home-Start Wakefield and our work.
Have a Volunteer recruitment article for us in a company or organisation newsletter.
Share your business expertise with us (e.g. IT or publicity).
Provide talks or training opportunities to your staff/ teams.
Help us with fund raising. hold a coffee morning etc
We also welcome donations such as parcels for children and families at Christmas
Donate…
£5 pays the bus fare for a Volunteer to visit a family.
£500 covers the costs of training a new volunteer – including an enhanced DBS check, training and accredited courses.
£195 provides young parents with a group support session.
Click to donate an amount through GoFundMe which you can pay through PayPal
GoFundMe is an easy way to donate to us, you can choose how much you would like to donate and it can be on a one time only basis
If you would like to hold a fundraising event for us please let us know so we can share with our internal staff, families and external organisations we work with you make your event a success.
Please contact us at admin@hswd.org.uk
Thank you for any donations you are able to make, every small donation can make a huge difference to the families we work with