Family Friends

Ffrindiau i Deuluoedd

Supporting families in crisis for over 25 years

Becoming a Volunteer

Becoming a volunteer with Family Friends is a very fulfilling experience. We have many volunteers who have been with us for over 15 years, some more than 20 years! This is testimony to the pleasure, fun and satisfaction of the job.  Joining our team of passionate and skilled volunteers will not only give you the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to families in the local community but you will also find it enhances your life in meaningful ways too. Volunteers report to us regulary that they feel their employment prospects are improved, their knowledge of their local community is developed, their social life is enhanced and they feel a real sense of satisfaction in the tasks they do as part of their role.

When you express interest in becoming a volunteer you will initally go through a preparation programme. This is a very informative and useful course that gets you ready to take up your role feeling prepared and skilled up. 

Please get in touch if you would like to become a volunteer - 01978 366115

What does a volunteer do?

You would be a part of a  network of trained and DBS checked volunteers who are parents or have relevant experience who support parents and children who are experiencing difficulties of one kind or another. You would be supporting families who need support for many reasons including social isolation, depression, disability, bereavement or the illness of a parent or child. Every Child and Family matter and the only criteria for us to give support is that they have at least 1 child prenatal to 14 years living at home with them.

Volunteer family workers visit families in their own homes and provide a listening ear, reassurance, help with the children, a shoulder to cry on and support parents to access local services. There is also opportunity to bring specific skills to the role such as finance or admin and take up a role as a trustee or in office support. Please see below for current volunteer opportunities. Some volunteers prefer to work as part of a team and take up a volunteer role in one of our many weekly groups. 

What sort of person volunteers as a family worker?

Volunteers are normally parents or have parenting experience, and are all ages and from all walks of life. Volunteers may want to gain experience working with families, broaden their skills, make the most of their spare time by supporting a family, meet other local people or get involved in their local community.

Click here for a Volunteer Profile and Volunteer Role Description

What are the benefits for me?

You will get a real sense of fulfilment from being involved in the local community, have access to free training, increased job prospectives, make new friends, have fun, learn new skills and uncover hidden talents. Family Friends is committed to supporting the self-development of our volunteers, and assists volunteers in achieving their personal goals wherever we can.

What sort of commitment do I need to make?

You’ll need to commit at least 2 hours a week to visiting a family or helping in a group, agree to a DBS check and complete a preparation course. You will have the full support of a coordinator, quarterly reviews and the opportunity to attend further training.

Interested? - Contact us for more information or click here for a Volunteer Application Form 

Are there other ways to get involved?

We are always looking for people to get involved in our work and often need new Trustee Committee Members, Fundraisers and Group Helpers. Contact us for more details of getting involved or alternatively, you might consider making a donation to support the vital work we are doing in your communnity.