I decided to volunteer with Home-Start after seeing an advert at our local swimming pool. I knew how it felt to be a new mum and how it would be nice for a little bit of help. The families I have gone into have varied from multiple births, domestic abuse, mental health problems, disabilities with parents and children, single parents and large families. Over my time going into families with Home-Start what keeps me wanting to volunteer is the difference it makes.
Being a Home Start volunteer has meant I have had to learn different ways to help families. Getting Autism training was one example. There are difficult times; I had a mum disclose domestic abuse and having to stop going to a family as social services decided the children would be better off in care. But going into families with Home Start is what keeps me wanting to volunteer as I see the difference it makes. It seems a simple idea but it has a huge impact on the families and especially the children. Some examples of the impact within the families vary from giving mum the confidence to feed her twins outside the family home to assisting a family to get the weekly food shop when both parents have learning difficulties.
Being a volunteer for Home-Start has taught me that I will always be learning, never to take things for granted and to go with the flow when going into a family and hopefully help steer their ship to calm safe waters. We don’t always know what these families go on to be and how the children grow up but I come away from each family with the hope that they will be happy. Volunteering has given me confidence and an understanding that I have the strength to cope with difficult situations. It has also shown my children that helping others is very rewarding and should be part of everyday life.