Volunteering to Support Families
If you would like to support families in Bedfordshire through volunteering, here is a list of our current volunteering opportunities offering you the chance to have a direct impact in family situations.
We have a special feature about volunteering with FACES Bedford this month but there are plenty of other voluntary and community sector organisations supporting families and looking for volunteers. All of the opportunities below are on the CVS Simply Connect Volunteering Platform.
Flying Start Luton Parent Buddy
Your role as a Parent Buddy will be to reinforce why parenting is such an important job and signpost parents to additional support and services across Luton. You will be visiting on a one-to-one basis within the community, including at a range of Flying Start parenting programmes.
The volunteers visit the home of a person with a life limiting illness, give practical help and support where it's needed and often become a friend during the illness - and beyond, if required. You will be a caring person – allowing the family/carer to have some time to see their friends, go shopping or simply relax.
Ormiston Families – HMP Bedford Prison Visiting
You will be supporting the delivery of the efficient running of prison visits, in order to provide prisoners and their families with valuable visiting experiences. There are also opportunities to support our Story Book Dad sessions, as well as spend time on the wings with the prisoners to promote the services of Ormiston Families.
FamilyLine provides a range of support to adult family members via telephone, e-mail, text and webchat. We need reliable volunteers who’ve gained skills through their own personal or working life experiences. Volunteers are asked to commit to supporting adult family members for a minimum of 4 hours a week from home.
Hospice at Home Visiting Volunteer
You will be providing social and emotional support to a person with a life limiting condition in the Leighton-Linslade area. This could include a shopping trip, a walk, or just a coffee and a chat. It also gives a couple of hours of respite for the persons carer.
Family Line Volunteer Counsellor
FamilyLine provides a range of support to adult family members via telephone, e-mail, text and webchat, making a real difference to people's lives. They are looking for committed, reliable volunteers who will use their communication skills effectively to listen to and support our service users. You will be offering short-term counselling, for 6-8 weeks. You will need to hold a minimum of Level 4 qualification in counselling or accredited equivalent.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service - Fuel Support Advocate
Volunteers will visit people’s homes and other community settings. The role seeks to ensure that the householder is supported to become aware of and access any and all means of support including Local Councils, Energy Companies and grant making bodies. As most of these sources of help require internet access for application for support, the role will be the enabler for that through use of a BFRS provided handheld device and where necessity undertake the process with and on behalf of the householder.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service – Safe and Well visits
You will help BFRS to undertake Safe and Well visits and obtain follow up feedback. This can be in your own community and may involve visiting people’s homes, community settings and events or hot-desking in service premises. Safe and Well visits are designed to provide a home safety assessment, alongside a personal lifestyle and wellbeing check.
Food ETC Cookery workshop Facilitator
If you like cooking and would like to help other people make healthy, nutritious, and cheap meals Food etc is looking for volunteers to work with a variety of groups in and around Bedford.
Carers in Bedfordshire – Counsellor
Carers in Bedfordshire offers short term counselling for carers - face to face, by phone or video. They are looking for counsellors who will gently encourage carers (aged 11+) to talk about what’s going on for them and help identify how to change or manage things in a different way going forward. You will not give direct advice or opinions. You will need to be a fully qualified person centred counsellor.
Home-Start Central Bedfordshire - SEND Parent Mentor
Volunteer Parent Mentors who have themselves got experience with children with SEND offer one to one support for a period of time (usually six weeks) to other parents with children with additional needs. They provide emotional support, help and guidance with navigating access to services, and are able to signpost to support groups and other services.
Home-Start Central Bedfordshire – Home Visiting Volunteer
You would visit a family in their own home once a week for a couple of hours. How you would help them is down to the family itself. The duties range from just talking and listening to more practical support such as meal planning and cooking, reading to the children, going to the local park or finding out about local services.
To talk further about volunteering, or if you would like some help using our Simply Connect platform, then please do get in touch.
tel: 01234 354366
