Volunteering With Children

Help our charity provide a Home-Start by volunteering with children in Bedfordshire…

Home-Start Central Bedfordshire is a part of one of the largest family support charities in the UK. Home-Start has helped more than one million children across the country.

In Bedfordshire alone, our volunteers have helped thousands. By volunteering with children in need of support, you can help them get a better start in life.

Our charity understands the value of children having support when they need it. This is especially vital in a child’s early development. We provide friendship and support to families with young children who are going through a difficult time in their lives. This may be due to severe illness, disability, family bereavement and many other reasons.

“After many years working with children in schools, I had no idea I could still learn and gain so much from the training.” – A Home-Start Central Bedfordshire Volunteer

A Voluntary Organisation

As a voluntary organisation, we support communities across Bedfordshire including Luton. To join us all you need is parenting experience, no qualifications are required.

You can start volunteering with children for just a few spare hours each week. We provide full training for all our new volunteers. Find out more about our volunteer children’s services below or get in touch with us now.

Get In Touch

Why Volunteer With Children?

As a Home-Start volunteer, you’ll be volunteering with children, helping them and their families in your local area. As well as a chance to contribute and give back to your community, there are also personal benefits. Many people who volunteer for children’s charities experience a sense of fulfilment and grow as a person.

Whilst volunteering with us you can gain CERTA Credits, valuable experience, useful new skills, make lots of new friends and much more. Some use their voluntary work as a pathway to a career in health and social care. Most of all, your time with us can be enjoyable…

Volunteering With Children Activities

Your volunteering with children activities could include:

Visiting at home and spending time with local children and their families
Being a valued friend and a familiar face
Playing
Listening
Having Fun
Establishing feeding
Routines
Encouraging development
Providing opportunities for outings and treats

Home-Start is always striving to better the lives of children. We are campaigning for all our children to grow up with – safe places to live and play, support when their parents suffer from a mental illness and protection from hunger and poor nutrition. [1]Home-Start Central Bedfordshire is a representative of the voluntary sector at Central Bedfordshire Local Safe Guarding Children Board. [2]

Get In Touch

“I am proud to support Home-Start because they believe that the best possible start in life for a child begins at home with their family. As a national family support charity, they provide support and friendship to families, helping parents build better lives and better futures for their children.” – Kirstie Allsopp, TV Presenter, Home-Start Ambassador

How To Start Your Volunteer Work With Children

Once you have contacted us, we will arrange a chat with one of our friendly volunteer co-ordinators. They will be able to answer any questions you may have and tell you more about your volunteer role. You will be invited to attend one of our fun and informal inductions. Here you will learn interesting new skills and more about our work in the local community. Then we will carefully match you with a family in need of support.

In your volunteer work with us, you will be working with children under the age of five and in some cases schoolchildren. Our charity’s important work cannot continue without people like you, so why not get involved in volunteering with children in your area today?

We often advertise our child volunteering opportunities on social media and at the volunteer centre. The Job Centre also encourages voluntary employment with us as it is a recognised stepping stone into work. Contact us now to find out about joining our next induction.

“The help my daughter received from Home Start was a bright light in an overwhelming situation of having triplets toddlers, not only did the children have a wonderful interactive time, thoroughly looking forward to the weekly visit, the Home Start volunteer became a friend and great support to her. It is an excellent service that works both ways, support for the families and a sense of achievement for the volunteers.” – Cllr Gill Clarke

“I am currently involved in several ways in respect of issues over Young People and their home environment. Home-start is well known to me and I am always pleased to note your successes. The organisation have my support and I wish you continued success.” – Cllr Norman Costin, Central Bedfordshire Council [3]

[1] Ideal Queen’s Speech: a Bill to ensure all children get the right start, Politics Home, 2015 [2] Central Bedfordshire Safe Guarding Children Board [3] Councillor Norman Costin, Central Bedfordshire Council [4] Duchess Of Cambridge visits Children’s Centre, The Express, March 18th 2015

Get In Touch

Home-Start Central Bedfordshire
The Annexe, Downside Neighbourhood Centre
Dunstable
Bedfordshire
LU54AS
England

office@home-startcentralbeds.org.uk
01582 660061

We welcome all our new volunteers to join us on social media and learn more about our charity.

“I joined Home-Start because I wanted to use the things that I had learned from having my own family and experiences in life to help someone else who might be going through a similar situation. I have learned so much, the staff team are always so helpful, the other volunteers are friendly and I have enjoyed being with the families that I have supported and feel that what I do is a help. Home-Start is such a worthwhile charity to volunteer for.” – A Home-Start Central Bedfordshire Volunteer

Home-Start Central Bedfordshire. A charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales, registered charity no. 1109262. Company Reg No. 5414484.