Volunteer with Home-Start Portsmouth

By volunteering just a few hours each week, you can transform the lives of young children and their parents/carers in your community.

Make a donation

Volunteer with Home-Start Portsmouth

By volunteering just a few hours each week, you can transform the lives of young children and their parents/carers in your community.

Make a donation

Our volunteering roles

We have various roles to support families and children in your community at Home-Start Portsmouth. There may also be other opportunities available to you, so if you have particular skills you’d like to offer us, please let us know – we would love to hear from you.

Home-Start Portsmouth volunteers offer no judgement just compassionate, confidential help and expert support. Starting in the home, our approach is as individual as the families we support.

What is the right role for you?

Home Visiting Volunteer

Home Visiting Volunteer

Support a family in the home and community for 2-3 hours a week

Get Involved
Stay & Play Volunteer

Stay & Play Volunteer

Support at our weekly Stay & Play groups 


Get Involved
Portsmouth Parent Board Volunteer

Portsmouth Parent Board Volunteer

Join our parent board and offer your experience and views to best shape services for families in the city

Get Involved
Big Hopes Big Future Volunteer

Big Hopes Big Future Volunteer

Support a family with a 3-4-year-old in the home for 12 weeks to be ready for the transition into school

Get Involved
Perinatal Volunteer

Perinatal Volunteer

By visiting once a week for up to six months, a home-Start home-visitor can offer vital support a family needs, making a big difference to their lives.

Dad Matters Volunteer

Dad Matters Volunteer

Offer support to dads in our outreach service within the hospital and on our Walk and Talks

Get Involved
Home-Start Portsmouth Ambassador

Home-Start Portsmouth Ambassador

Not sure if you can commit to weekly family support but want to get involved? Become a Home-Start Portsmouth Ambassador and spread the word of the work we do or support us in any way possible

Upcoming Training Dates

All volunteers are required to complete training to prepare them for their volunteer role. The training provides an opportunity for you to ask questions and understand the importance of your role, whilst also giving staff the time to get to know you, so that they can match you with the right family

Volunteer Training

Volunteer Training

2 Day course

5th & 13th August

9:30am - 3:30pm

The Haven, 17 Lake Road, PO1 4HA

Volunteer Training

Volunteer Training

8 Week Course 

23rd September

9:30am - 12:30pm

Training Date 3

Training Date 3

Coming soon...

Training Date 4

Training Date 4

Coming soon...

Screenshot 2026-02-02 at 12.11.35 1

Volunteers Receive

We couldn’t do what we do without our amazing team of volunteers, they are the heart of Home-Start.

There are so many benefits to volunteering, not only for yourself, but for the community you live in. A few benefits and small rewards we like to offer by volunteering:

  • A detailed training course to give you all the knowledge and tools to best support a family
  • Appropriate top-up training throughout the year
  • Continued support through the coordinators and team in the office
  • Free refreshments at training provided
  • Bi-annual celebration events with the Home-Start Portsmouth team
  • Regular coffee mornings to come and meet fellow volunteers and members of the team
  • Regular communications and updates from the charity
  • Recognition of outstanding services and long-service

Get Involved

If you want to make a difference to a families life and give children the best start in life, then simply complete our Get Involved form and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss your volunteering journey at Home-Start Portsmouth.

 

Get Involved
get involved

Volunteer Testimonials

Here's what some of our lovely volunteer's had to say about the work they do at Home Start Portsmouth

"I am a volunteer with Home-Start and have been for 3 years. I started taking my boys to the stay and play groups until they started school/preschool.  They really enjoyed the groups and meeting other children and I met some lovely mums and volunteers. I then enrolled to volunteer."

"I would absolutely recommend volunteering with Home-Start. Helping others gives a lot of personal satisfaction which helps me grow as a person."

I feel that I was able to make a real difference for the family that I worked with. The mum has grown in confidence and feels more able to handle issues herself. Whilst volunteering with the family I learnt that sometimes all people need is a supportive ear and reassurance in their own ideas.