Around 18 months ago, Family Hubs began welcoming volunteers who wanted to give something back to their community, meet new people, or develop personally and professionally. There was no formal volunteering process at the time, but colleagues recognised the value and skills that local people could bring.
As the programme grew, Family Hubs worked closely with Human Resources and Legal Services to develop a clear volunteer pathway, supported by stronger policies and procedures. What began as a spontaneous opportunity has grown into an established part of the Family Hub offer, with 32 current active volunteers.
Relationships are at the heart of the programme. Each volunteer is supported by a Family Hub coordinator and paired with an experienced volunteer or member of staff who can provide mentoring, training and opportunities to shadow others. Regular group meetings and one-to-one supervision give volunteers time to share feedback, celebrate their progress and explore opportunities linked to their individual goals.
For many volunteers, the impact goes beyond gaining experience. Volunteering has helped people build confidence, reduce social isolation, improve their wellbeing, develop new skills and feel part of a team. Some have progressed into further volunteering, education or paid employment.
One volunteer said: “Through volunteering, I met many new people, made friends and had opportunities to speak English with residents. I also learnt useful skills that have helped me in my current job”.
Another explained that volunteering gave them the confidence to speak with new people and helped them secure a customer service role within the council. Others have valued the opportunity to build their CV, access regular training and learn more about safeguarding, early help and supporting families.
Volunteers also make an important contribution to the Family Hub offer. They help deliver and lead sessions, support activities such as gardening and housekeeping, and enable services to reach more children, families and members of the wider community.
A traditional volunteering offer may have focused mainly on filling roles of completing tasks. Instead, this relational approach focuses on each person, what they hope to achieve and the support they need to grow. By building trusting relationships and creating meaningful opportunities, Family Hubs are supporting volunteers to develop while strengthening the communities they serve.