Volunteering as a Family Support Volunteer is a flexible, rewarding and truly meaningful way to make a difference in the lives of children facing life‑shortening conditions, and their families.
You’ll be carefully matched with a family based on your skills, availability, location, and the family’s needs. You’ll receive full training and ongoing guidance from our experienced Community Team, ensuring you always feel confident and supported.
As a Family Support Volunteer, you may offer social support like befriending, being a listening ear, or meeting a parent for a coffee or lunch. You may also provide practical help such as household chores, shopping, gardening, maintenance, or reading with children. You’ll also be welcomed into our volunteer community and invited to Tŷ Hafan social activities throughout the year.
Volunteering to support our families is a fantastic way to use your existing skills, learn new ones, meet new people, and make a positive impact in your community.
If you'd like to apply, you can explore our available roles below.
For questions, contact our Family Support Volunteer Manager at debbie.allison@tyhafan.org or call 029 2053 2254.
Alternatively, if you would like to arrange a callback to discuss the role, please click here to complete a short form.
Your support helps families during some of the most challenging times of their lives. Even small acts of kindness can create moments of comfort and connection.
As a Family Support Volunteer, you help families by:
- Giving parents precious time back with their child
- Lightening the load of daily tasks
- Offering emotional support and companionship
- Creating joyful, calm, or reassuring moments for siblings
- Helping families feel less isolated
- Being a consistent, caring presence when life feels uncertain.
A little help from you can make a very big difference.
Overseas Applications
Please note, while we at Tŷ Hafan pride ourselves on being inclusive of all individuals who wish to volunteer, we are not currently a sponsor license holder so we are not able to support any overseas VISA applications.
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I would like to volunteer
Family Support Volunteer Role
Volunteer Gardener
As a Gardening Volunteer in family homes, you can help make a real impact on the lives of families with children facing complex health challenges and a shortened life.
Having access to a secure garden or outdoor area can be crucial for providing opportunities to play and relax, which can be invaluable for the mental well-being of these families.
Our Gardening Volunteer role supports numerous Tŷ Hafan families who find it difficult to clear and maintain their gardens or outdoor spaces, alongside providing around the clock care for their child or young person.
Often, once the space has been cleared, the task becomes more manageable and less daunting, giving families the breathing space they need to maintain the area by themselves.
Considerations:
Age requirement: 21+
Location: Across South & West Wales (in your local area)
Time commitment: Flexible and can be adjusted to accommodate your personal schedule. The support plans designed for referred families are typically structured to span a period of six weeks.
Background checks: Enhanced DBS check, 2 references and induction/training course required before starting.
Due to the nature of the role, we are looking for volunteers with some skills, experience and knowledge of gardening, either as a profession or as a hobby.
Activities include:
•Mowing the lawn, trimming hedges, and pruning shrubs/trees;
•Disposal of garden waste;
•Planting bulbs and tidying up flower beds;
•General tidy up of outdoor spaces;
•Other ad-hoc gardening tasks on a seasonal basis.
At Tŷ Hafan our people values are working together, demonstrating compassion, providing excellent service and taking ownership.
We expect all colleagues and volunteers to behave with high levels of integrity and to represent our values as a core part of their role.
Training you will receive:
You will receive a comprehensive introduction to Tŷ Hafan and your role, to include an in-person Induction and Training Programme as well as additional e-learning.
You will be a part of a friendly and supportive team who will assist you with any queries or concerns through regular and ongoing meetings.
Other role and organisation specific training is available including both supplementary and mandatory training.
All volunteers must maintain their mandatory training to continue in their role.
The benefits of becoming a Gardening Volunteer in Family Homes:
•Make a positive difference in the lives of children with life-shortening conditions and their families, by creating and maintaining beautiful outdoor spaces for them to enjoy;
•Attend Volunteer Celebration Events throughout the year;
•Meet new people and join a friendly community of volunteers, passionate about helping others;
•Develop your existing gardening skills and knowledge;
•Expenses will be provided following discussion about the role.
Ready to apply?
Click here to fill in an application form on your laptop/pc
Click here to complete an application form on your mobile phone/tablet
This role is purely voluntary and this arrangement is not meant to be a legally binding one or an employment contract. .
Family Support Volunteer
Joining this role means you'll be at the heart of providing essential support to families facing the unimaginable; caring for their child who's life will be short.
Many families in Wales are unfortunately facing this challenge alone, without support from others.
As a Family Support Volunteer with Tŷ Hafan, you’ll help ease the everyday pressures families face by offering help in the home. This might include light cleaning, tidying, laundry, garden maintenance or supporting the siblings, whatever matches your skills and the family’s needs.
Your support will give families the breathing space to focus on what matters most: spending time together.
Considerations:
Age requirement: 21+
Location: Across South & West Wales (in your local area)
Time commitment: Flexible and can be adjusted to accommodate your personal schedule. The support plans designed for referred families are typically structured to span a period of six weeks.
Background checks: Enhanced DBS check, 2 references and induction/training course required before starting.
Due to the nature of the role, we are looking for volunteers with some skills, experience and knowledge of gardening, either as a profession or as a hobby.
Activities include:
• Practical support activities such as supporting with housework, decluttering spaces or gardening
• Child focused activities such as reading, play and providing fun
• Wellbeing & therapeutic support (if qualified) such as complimentary therapies and mindfulness
• Family support & companionship activities such as offering emotional support and conversation, accompanying families to appointments, etc.
These activities can be matched to each volunteer’s skills, experience, and comfort level, and always tailored to the family’s preferences and needs.
We are looking for volunteers who:
• Can empathise with the families you are helping and show them kindness and respect;
• Are reliable and flexible and committed to volunteering on a longer term basis;
• Will follow our health and safety guidelines, policies and procedures and report any issues or concerns to the Family Support Volunteer Manager;
• Are respectful of the privacy, preferences and needs of the families you are supporting;
• Are polite and friendly;
• Can adapt to different situations and challenges;
• Enjoy making a difference in the lives of others
At Tŷ Hafan our people values are working together, demonstrating compassion, providing excellent service and taking ownership.
We expect all colleagues and volunteers to behave with high levels of integrity and to represent our values as a core part of their role.
Training you will receive:
You will receive a comprehensive introduction to Tŷ Hafan and your role, to include an in-person Induction and Training Programme as well as additional e-learning.
You will be a part of a friendly and supportive team who will assist you with any queries or concerns through regular and ongoing meetings.
Other role and organisation specific training is available including both supplementary and mandatory training.
All volunteers must maintain their mandatory training to continue in their role.
The benefits of becoming a Practical Family Support Volunteer in Family Homes:
• Make a positive difference in the lives of children with life-shortening conditions and their families, by helping them to maintain clean spaces for them to enjoy;
• Attend Volunteer Celebration Events throughout the year;
• Meet new people and join a friendly community of volunteers, passionate about helping others;
• Expenses will be provided following discussion about the role.
Ready to apply?
Click here to fill in an application form on your laptop/pc
Click here to complete an application form on your mobile phone/tablet
This role is purely voluntary and this arrangement is not meant to be a legally binding one or an employment contract.
Practical Support at Home Volunteer
Click here to view a full role description.
If you would prefer a paper application form, please contact us at volunteering@tyhafan.org or call 02920 532 254. We can post a copy directly to your home, along with a pre‑paid return envelope so you can send it back easily.
Click here to arrange an informal chat about the role. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
