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.
Be a Home-Start volunteer
No special qualifications are necessary to become a Home-
Talking and listening can empower families to overcome their difficult situations. Volunteers are offered on-going training and support activities including specialist speakers and visits to family support services, as well as informal social gatherings.
Our volunteer roles would be great if you:
- Want to make a difference to a families life and give children the best start in life
- Are able to build a good rapport with young children and parents
- Are empathetic with a non-judgemental approach
What we offer our volunteers
- A detailed training course to give you all the knowledge and tools to best support a family
- Appropriate top-up training throughout the year
- Continued support through the coordinators and team in the office
- Refreshments at training provided
- Bi-annually celebration events with the Home-Start Portsmouth team
- Regular coffee mornings to come and meet fellow volunteers and members of the team
- Regular communications and updates from the charity
- Recognition of outstanding services and long-service
Please complete our expression of interest form to find out more or complete our application form to start your journey transforming lives in your area.
Training to be a Home-Start Portsmouth 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 with the team of coordiantors.
Summer Induction Training Courses
Thursday mornings 9.30am – 12.30pm – 8 weeks
2nd May
9th May
16th May
23rd May
Half term break
6th June
13th June
20th June
27th June
Please complete an expression of interest form if you are interested in joining this course
Monday evenings 6pm – 9pm – 4 weeks
13th May
20th May
Half term break
3rd June
10th June
Please complete an expression of interest form if you are interested in joining this course
Autumn Induction Training Dates
Tuesday mornings – starting 24th September – 9.30am-12.30pm – 8 weeks
Weekend training – 23rd and 30th November – 9am-3pm – 2 weeks
Volunteer testimonials
I am a volunteer with home start and have been for 3 years. I started taking my boys to the stay and play groups, until they started school/preschool, they really enjoyed the groups, meeting other children and I met some lovely mum’s and volunteers. I then enrolled to volunteer. I really enjoy planning and running the stay and play groups with my volunteer colleagues; It’s great seeing the children enjoying themselves and getting to know the families. The support from the home start team is amazing and are such lovely people.
I would absolutely recommend volunteering with Home-Start. Helping others gives a lot of personal satisfaction which helps me grow as a person.
I feel that I was able to make a real difference for the family that I worked with. The mum has grown in confidence and feels more able to handle issues herself. Whilst volunteering with the family I learnt that sometimes all people need is a supportive ear and reassurance in their own ideas.
Other ways to volunteer for Home-Start
Join our Management Board
We are looking for board members who can contribute to the development and success of Home-Start Portsmouth.
If you have experience in management, or in a former executive role, and are looking to get involved in something meaningful locally, then this could be for you.
You would be expected to attend Board meetings once every 6 weeks and contribute as necessary out of committee.
If you’d like to find out more, please do get in touch or send your CV and a brief covering letter explaining why you are interested in joining the Management Board to office@hsportsmouth.org.uk
Become a Home-Start Volunteer Today
Home-Start’s team of trained volunteers make sure a child’s early years count. By volunteering just a few hours each week you can transform the lives of young children and their parents in your community.