More volunteers needed to help support local families.

Wednesday 24 October 2018

A charity which supports families with young children needs more volunteers to help in their group sessions and one on one work.

Home Start Guernsey offers a number of different services, in two defined areas.

One sees volunteers work with families, often in their own homes, on a one to one basis, offering support in various ways. The other revolves around a growing number of support groups which are run weekly at different venues across the island.

Pictured: Home Start volunteers work one on one with some families in varying circumstances, offering support to the parents and children. 

Earlier this year, Home Start Guernsey started new volunteer training for its home visits service, which is getting an increasing number of referrals from other service providers who can see that families can benefit from the confidential, non-judgemental, practical and emotional support it can offer.

Volunteers work with the parents and children to build the family’s confidence and ability to cope in situations such as coping with bereavement, multiple births, illness, disability or those who are just finding parenting a struggle. 

Home Start Guernsey also runs a series of parent support groups called Dragonflies.

They are free to all families with children aged five and under, offering a place to play, read, do arts and crafts and join in sing songs. The groups are run weekly between 09:30 and 11:30 at four locations currently, with a free snack and drinks for all children.

Volunteers are needed to help out at group sessions on Thursdays, Friday and Saturdays.

Anyone wanting more information should contact Senior co-ordinator Ayesha Camara on 720382 or contact@home-startguernsey.org.gg

Pictured top: Home Start Guernsey volunteers go through on-island training.