Volunteers provide one to one support to a family in their home with at least one child under five. They visit the family once a week for around 2 hours, The support could be playing with the children, an extra pair of hands when going out, help with cooking, budgeting, the list is long. 97% of our families are referred as mum is struggling with her mental health, many of them with post natal depression. Isolation as no friends or family around. Baby with colic and mum is exhausted with no sleep, child or parent may have an illness or disability, the list is long. As a volunteer, you are going in as a friend. It’s not your job to fix it, but by being there in a supportive non judgemental way, you make it better.

Can you to commit a couple of hours at your convenience on a weekly basis? Their core work is supporting families in their own home with Home-Visiting volunteers. Home-Start Dunfermline supports families with at least 1 child under 5 years old in Dunfermline and South West Fife Villages. They also offer a range of additional support including a weekly family group, Baby Massage classes which their Volunteers also often enlist to and offer ongoing training and support opportunities regularly for their Volunteers. Home-Start has a proven, lasting, positive impact on the development of children and the health and welfare of the family.

Home-Start is a local community network of trained volunteers and expert support helping families with young children through their challenging times. Many parents need help, friendship, and support when their children are young, perhaps because they are isolated with no family support; struggling with the emotional/physical demands of young children; experiencing post-natal depression; coping with their child's ill health or disability. As a home-visiting volunteer you will be matched with a local family who you will visit at home each week for 2-3 hours. They might be new to the area, have children with additional needs, have health issues, lack confidence. Taking the lead from the family you will support them with what will help them most on the day – getting out & about, going to appointments, help with shopping, talking & listening. By building up a supportive relationship you will help the parents gain confidence and make a difference in the children’s lives.

Volunteering Matters are a national volunteering charity. We are looking "Family Support" Volunteers in the City of Edinburgh, who can offer practical, social and emotional support to a local family in need. Our Family Supporters programme recruits, trains and supports volunteers, matching them 1:1 with parents and families facing a range of life challenges and barriers. Volunteers help families, spending 1:1 time together on a personalised set of goals chosen by the family, for the family. These goals may including achieving improved living standards, building confidence and soft skills, budgeting, healthier eating, better school life, improving health and wellbeing or introducing parents to community resources, and lots more. If you have an understanding of the challenges that families are facing and would like to use your life experiences and skills to support others, this could be the role for you! As a volunteer, you will build a strong relationship based on trust and mutual respect, acting as a friendly face who listens and cares about the family.