Volunteer for Home-Start

By volunteering just a few hours each week you can transform the lives of young children and their parents in your community

Home-Start Family Support volunteers

No special qualifications are necessary to become a Home-Start volunteer, but volunteers are usually parents or grandparents with an interest in, and experience of, young children and family life.

We are keen to recruit people who identify as male to volunteer with us, not just those identifying as women. Families need help in lots of different ways and a variety of individuals, from different backgrounds, genders, experiences etc are best placed to meet the bespoke needs of different families.

Talking and listening can empower families to overcome their difficult situations and is central to every volunteering role. In addition we have opportunities for volunteers to be involved in more practical and specific ways with families, such as helping them navigate the Cost of Living Crisis, and we have specific volunteer training and resources to help you do this.

Volunteers are provided with free and comprehensive introductory training, as well as on-going training and support throughout your membership of our volunteering team. In addition there will be the opportunity to join other volunteers at informal social gatherings.

Please see our Recruitment Poster here

Becoming a Home-Start Family Support Volunteer

You must be a parent or have parenting experience.
As a Home-Start volunteer you will support a family by visiting them at home for around two to three hours once a week.
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 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 co-ordinators during the time you are visiting families.

Do you want to become a Home-Start volunteer? Are you keen to help parents and children in your community? Please download an application form to start your journey transforming lives in your area.

Contact us to find out more about being a Home-Start volunteer

Training to be a Home-Start South Leicestershire volunteer

Our volunteers undergo a full training and assessment programme before being matched with a family or with one of our groups.

Volunteers will learn about health and wellbeing, child development, child protection, community projects and a number of key areas of our specific services.

A programme of support and supervision, as well as ongoing developmental training, is in place throughout the year.

Charity Champion Volunteers

Could you be a Home-Start South Leicestershire Charity Champion?

In years gone by, we have been extremely lucky to have been supported by “Friends” of HSSL, who have raised funds on our behalf. In today’s climate, funding is increasingly difficult to secure, and we are keen to reignite and revamp this role. We are actively seeking enthusiastic, creative and dedicated individuals who have a little spare time and know how to promote us within our community.

Are you great at organising events and rallying the support of your local community?

Are you a serial marathon runner or organiser of sponsored events?

Are you a dab hand at sourcing fantastic raffle prizes?

Do you own a business that could help with printing or marketing costs?

If you answered yes (or know someone who fits the bill!) we would absolutely LOVE to hear from you!

We can offer you the chance to make a real difference to the lives of all kinds of families across Harborough District. We have a lovely team of volunteers and a real sense of community, which we would love you to be a part of.

Give us a call on 01858 467982 or 07548 917508, or email info@home-startsouthleics.org.uk to find out more from our friendly team.

Volunteer stories

Providing home-visiting support

I looked forward to every one of the weekly course training sessions. It was a friendly, warm environment with a great mix of people and ideas and...

Providing group and course support

The training course was fantastic, very thorough, but delivered in a relaxed atmosphere, and I gained so much from it, my initial nerves about...

Supporting families since 2009

I have supported a number of families, all of whom have been faced with a range of challenges, never two the same. Upon meeting a family for the...

Volunteer testimonials

I am just an ordinary person who has a small amount of time a week, and I am very glad I can spend it volunteering for Home-Start. The support and warmth from staff is incredible and I feel honoured to be a part of this. I also feel as a person much more fulfilled.

Volunteer

The biggest ‘take home’ for me……? How giving even a small amount of time and energy can make such a positive difference, not just to the families but to volunteers too.

Volunteer

I can’t praise the volunteer course highly enough. The team are so friendly and welcoming, and completely approachable. Any questions or concerns are always met with patience, and support is always there.

Volunteer

Other ways to volunteer for Home-Start

Share your time and skills to help our work

If being a Home Visiting Volunteer isn’t for you, you may be able to help us in other ways. Many people have volunteered their time and skills for:

supporting family groups & outings
administration work
music, craft and storytelling
healthy eating sessions
fundraising
digital promotion
and so much more

You may also be able to help in ways we haven’t thought about yet.
So if you want to get involved, get in touch and let us know what you have in mind.

Join us as a Trustee to help shape the future of our work with families

Our Trustees provide essential leadership, guidance and governance from their own professional or lived experiences. They also play an important role as ambassadors for our work and can offer particular skills to the organisation (like human resources, information management or finance, for example). We welcome interest from those who can be passionate about our work with parents, children, families and the community.

Importantly, the Board of Trustees should reflect the communities in which we work. We already benefit from a variety of skills, experiences and backgrounds and now need to add to that dynamic and creative team.

The minimum commitment as a Trustee is for 8 – 10 hours each month, to attend meetings or to engage in Board discussions via email and online forums. Further opportunities to get involved are possible too, so we can be flexible to suit individual motivations to volunteer.