Empowering volunteers, amplifying parent voices and strengthening community connections.
Volunteers are an essential part of successful Family Hubs, bringing lived experience, local knowledge, skills and trusted relationships that help services connect more effectively with families and communities. They play an important role in creating welcoming, inclusive environments, supporting activities and peer networks, reducing isolation and helping families access the right support at the right time. By investing in volunteers, Family Hubs can strengthen community involvement, improve outreach to underserved families and build sustainable, relationship-based support that improves outcomes for children, young people and parents.
The Department for Education’s Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies: Wider Service Expectations guidance recognises the important contribution volunteers and VCF organisations make in shaping effective services, reaching communities and supporting peer-led engagement with families. The guidance highlights the importance of “trained community volunteers” in building trusted relationships, reducing barriers to support and helping families access the wider Best Start offer.
