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Home-Start Guildford
Mission Statement
"There for parents when they need us most, because childhood can't wait"
Parents Supporting Other Parents - a simple idea that really works!
Home-Start Guildford has been supporting local families across the Guildford Borough for over 25 years.
We're a non-judgemental organisations that helps local parents who are struggling, for any reason. Some of those reasons may include; multiple births, mental health, an abusive partner, isolation, mental or physical handicap, or the pressure that loss of employment brings to a family.
What we do
Our charity provides a preventative service that aims to support families who are struggling by offering regular volunteer support to parents with at least one child under the age of 5, usually referred to us by Health Visitors.
We provide one-to-one support for parents:
Our volunteers visit the family’s home for a couple of hours every week. They tailor-make their support to the needs of the parents and children. Volunteers are very committed and will keep visiting until the youngest child turns five or starts school, or until the parents feel they can stand on their own two feet. Parents and volunteers often develop a deeply trusting relationship which can lead to powerful change within the family.
We also run two family groups for referred families, one in the Pirbright Community Centre and the other in the Guildford Family Group, Hazel Avenue.
Our values
- We offer families choice
- We work in partnership - with each other, with families and with other agencies
- We work in a spirit of openness, encouragement and enjoyment
- We are flexible and responsive to the needs of families
Volunteering Opportunities
There are several ways that you can help in a voluntary capacity:
- by supporting a family as a Home-Visiting Volunteer
- by helping at one of our Family Groups
- by joining the Trustee Board
- by becoming a Friend of Home-Start Guildford
- by supporting us as a Digital / Office Volunteer
Please see the volunteer roles listed for more detail.
General Interests
Could you be a Home-Visiting Volunteer?
Become a Home Visiting Volunteer and Make a Difference
Home Visiting Volunteers come from many different backgrounds and vary in age but all are either parents themselves or have parenting experience and are carefully selected for their friendliness and understanding. They provide informal, friendly emotional support and practical help to families. Whether it’s holding a baby so mum can shower, playing with toddlers so a parent can rest, or simply being a listening ear - your time and empathy can change lives.
All our home visiting volunteers attend a preparation course, undergo an enhanced DBS check and provide two references before being matched with a family who they will visit once a week, for approximately 2-3 hours.
Why Volunteer With Us?
- 🤝 Make a real difference in your local community
- 🎓 Free training and ongoing support
- 🚗 Travel expenses reimbursed
- 🧠 Learn new skills and build confidence
- 💬 Join a warm, supportive volunteer network
- 🎉 Enjoy social events and specialist talks
Requirements and Commitment:
- You must be a parent or have parenting experience
- As a Home-Start volunteer you will support a family by visiting them at home for around two to three hours once a week
- You should be able to commit at least one year of your time to Home-Start
- You should have a non-judgmental attitude and understand about the pressures of bringing up a family
- Be able to attend our free Volunteer Preparation Course with other new volunteers
- Have an understanding of and abide by our Confidentiality and Safeguarding policies
- Be able to undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check
We’ll support you every step of the way - with training, supervision, and thoughtful matching to a family who will benefit from your unique experience.
Volunteers take their own individual skills and experience to the families they visit. Talking and listening can empower families to overcome their difficult situations. Visits might include holding the baby while mum has a shower, playing with twin toddlers while mum has a sleep, taking parents shopping and showing them how to budget, being a listening ear to relieve isolation, modelling positive parenting and play.
What we offer you:
- An ongoing commitment to help volunteers fulfil their roles to the best of their ability
- Comprehensive and up-to-date information about Home-Start
- Individual interview with one of our co-ordinators before commencing training
- Free initial training before you commence as a home-visiting volunteer
- Opportunities for regular ongoing training
- Appropriate support and supervision, both individually and at volunteer support group meetings
- A thorough matching service when matching volunteers to new families
- Re-imbursement of travel expenses
- Annual volunteer social events
If you would like to find out more, to make an enquiry, please fill in an application and someone will be in touch with you.
Digital Content & Media Volunteer
Help Home-Start Guildford raise awareness of our work with local families by supporting our digital presence. This is not a family-facing role – instead, you’ll be helping our small team by creating simple social media content, keeping information up to date, and helping us share stories and events with the wider community.
You’ll be supported by the Business & Administration Manager, who will guide priorities, approve posts, and provide support.
What the role involves
(Tasks are optional, flexible, and matched to the volunteer’s interests)
- Helping to maintain a warm, consistent presence on our social media channels
- Sharing posts from partner organisations, funders, and local community groups, adding a short caption where appropriate
- Creating simple posts in Canva or similar tools — quotes, photos, news, events, volunteer spotlights
- Updating small sections of our website (training will be provided)
- Attending occasional events to take photographs or short video clips
- Creating short promotional reels or videos about our services
- Uploading short videos to YouTube and sharing them appropriately
- Helping to keep our online information accurate and up to date
What the role does not include
- Providing support to families
- Communicating directly with families or volunteers about support matters
- Running any digital activities independently of staff oversight
Who this role suits
- Someone creative who enjoys social media or simple design
- Someone who wants experience in digital communications or marketing
- Anyone who wants to support local families but prefers a behind-the-scenes role
- Students looking for portfolio pieces, or people looking to gain workplace skills
Time commitment
Flexible – typically 1–2 hours per week, but open for discussion. Following an induction and short period of office based working, much of the role could be done remotely if preferred.
Training and Support:
- Volunteers are the heart of Home-Start Guildford. In joining our dedicated and friendly team, you will:
- receive a full induction
- meet other likeminded people
- meet regularly with, and be supported by, one of our members of staff
- have access to training activities including specialist speakers
- be invited to volunteer social events (including a free Christmas Lunch event)
- receive regular updates and newsletters
All our volunteers are required to sign the Safeguarding and Protecting Children Code of Conduct, which is introduced to volunteers as part of their induction and indicates that they fully understand and are committed to Home-Start’s Policy and procedures for Safeguarding and Protecting Children.
All volunteers are also required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring check, at a level relevant to the position.
