Our volunteers are able to provide face to face visits out in the community with families to help them to play, get out of the house, settle into a new area, enjoy family life and have fun. The families all have children under 5 and are experiencing some difficulty or stress. Volunteers make a real difference by offering them a listening ear and practical and emotional support. We need male and female volunteers for 2 hrs a week for about 6 months. Our aim is to make families more confident and resilient. We’ll train you to be a good listener to the parent’s worries and to encourage them to give their children a positive start in life. Each family needs something different, most of them need another adult for a non-judgmental weekly chat; someone reliable that they can trust; someone with the energy to play and the patience to read with children; someone who can help everyone get out and connect with their community. Volunteers might also do things like baking with the kids; helping families to be more organised; helping parents feel more confident about playing with their children. We’ll support you all the way with regular meetings with a paid staff member. We’ll also match you carefully with the type of family that suits you to ensure that you can build a good supportive relationship. We’ve been going for over 30 years and won awards for our work. Our volunteers say they feel very well looked after and that they get really solid experience to use in careers like Social Work, Social Care and Psychology. Others just say it is fun and rewarding to be able to make such a difference to a family.

Many Midlothian parents need someone to talk to. They may have no friends or family to confide in. Or they may want someone like you who they can trust to be non-judgemental about the ups and downs of family life. They would like to have your praise and encouragement and for you to share their interest in their child’s development. The families all have children under 5 and are experiencing some difficulty or stress. Volunteers make a real difference by offering them a listening ear and emotional support. At the moment we need male and female volunteers who are able to spend time with families in the community. Our volunteers usually make 2 hour home visits. Our aim is to make families more confident and resilient. We’ll train you to be a good listener to the parent’s worries and to encourage them to give their children a positive start in life. Each family needs something different, most of them need another adult for a non-judgmental weekly chat; someone reliable that they can trust; helping families to be more organised; to read a story to the children; helping parents feel more confident about playing with their children. We’ll support you all the way with regular support from a paid staff member. We’ll repay any out of pocket expenses. We’ll also match you carefully with the type of family that suits you to ensure that you can build a good supportive relationship. We’ve been going for over 30 years and won awards for our work. Our volunteers say they feel very well looked after and that they get really solid experience to use in careers like Social Work, Social Care and Psychology. Others just say it is fun and rewarding to be able to make such a difference to a family. Our next training will be early 2023. For an application form go to www.homelinkfamilysuport.org or email info@homelinkfamilysupport.org or telephone 0131 661 0890