Infant Feeding Volunteer - Ipswich only
Would you like to make a difference to families in Suffolk?
We are looking for compassionate and enthusiastic Infant Feeding Volunteers to support new parents and families across Suffolk. This rewarding role offers an opportunity to provide encouragement, information, and peer support to parents as they navigate their infant feeding journey.
By sharing your experience, listening without judgement, and signposting families to appropriate services, you can help parents feel more confident and supported during the early stages of parenthood.
What You'll Do
As an Infant Feeding Volunteer, you may:
- Provide friendly, non-judgemental support to parents and families.
- Offer encouragement and reassurance around infant feeding.
- Support infant feeding groups, workshops, and community sessions.
- Help create a welcoming and inclusive environment for families.
- Signpost parents to professional support and local services when appropriate.
- Promote positive infant feeding messages within the community.
- Complete any required records in line with organisational guidelines.
Here's what the department has to say about the role.
'Infant feeding volunteers play an important role in supporting families during the early stages of a child's life. They provide information, practical guidance, and emotional support to parents and caregivers, helping them make informed decisions about feeding their baby. Volunteers may also offer advice on breastfeeding techniques, bottle feeding, expressing milk, and alternative feeding methods where appropriate.
As part of their role, infant feeding volunteers attend regular volunteer shifts, listen to parents' experiences and concerns, and help identify the support they need. They may provide encouragement and practical coaching on achieving a comfortable and effective breastfeeding position, as well as offer information on alternative methods of feeding newborn infants when requested. Throughout their duties volunteers provide non-judgemental, evidence-based support while respecting each family's individual circumstances and feeding choices.'
What We're Looking For
We are seeking individuals who:
- Have good listening and communication skills.
- Are empathetic, friendly, and supportive.
- Can maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries.
- Are committed to treating all families with respect and without judgement.
- Can work as part of a team and follow guidance from staff.
- Have personal experience of infant feeding and supporting families (desirable but not essential).
- Due to the nature of the role applicants must be over 18 years old.
What We Offer
- Comprehensive training and ongoing support.
- Opportunities to develop new skills and gain valuable experience.
- Regular supervision and access to the Infant Feeding Team.
- Reimbursement of agreed volunteer expenses.
- The chance to make a meaningful difference to local families and communities.
Commitment
We ask volunteers to commit to volunteering on a regular basis, usually 2-4 per shift on the same day, at the same time each week. Current shifts are available
- Monday 9am-5pm
- Tuesday 9am-5pm
- Wednesday 11:30am-5pm
- Thursday 8am-5pm
- Friday 12-5pm
Interested?
If you are passionate about supporting parents and giving babies the best start in life, we'd love to hear from you.
