Home-Start UK is teaming up with Home-Starts across Scotland during Volunteers Week Scotland to celebrate how families and volunteers are building better futures for young children in Scotland.

Home-Start UK is bringing this year’s theme ‘Volunteering for All’ to life with a daily volunteer story, seven short films which show that volunteering is for everyone. One film a day will be released via social media from 1-8 June 2018 during Volunteers’ Week Scotland as part of a Scotland-wide celebration of the vital contribution made by volunteers.

Home-Start volunteers from across Scotland have shared their inspiring stories and you might be surprised by the range of people, their ability to make time for volunteering and what they get out of spending time on supporting families raising young children. Volunteers from Fife, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and East Lothian will be in the mix.

Watch the films

Shelagh Young, Director of Scotland for Home-Start UK says:

“We are incredibly proud of our network’s 800 volunteers and they appreciate the training and support offered to them. But the most important voice when it comes to talking about Home-Start volunteers comes from more than 3000 families they work with every year. Time and again we hear about the power of these trusting relationships to help parents change their own and their children’s lives for the better. That’s one reason why parents we’ve supported often come back to give their time as family support volunteers themselves.”

Home-Start in Scotland currently draws on the support of over 800 volunteers who worked with over 3000 families last year. They helped parents improve the quality of life for over 6000 children. Parenting experience is just one of the skills volunteers can bring but local Home-Starts are open to all offers. The Home-Start volunteers filmed for Volunteers Week 2018 show how helping to keep Home-Start’s services to families going really is a case of “Volunteering for All.”

Volunteers are vital to the strength and vitality of Scottish society, with their work valued at £2 billion every year. Recent research found that Scotland’s young people are particularly engaged, with participation now at 52% - nearly double the adult figure of 27%.

As well as celebrating the work of existing volunteers, Volunteers’ Week Scotland offers a new opportunity for voluntary organisations to promote the benefits that volunteering can bring. The week can also help highlight how people can access opportunities and overcome any barriers they might be facing.

The Scottish Volunteering Forum is encouraging as many people as possible to take part. Forum Chairman Paul Okroj says:

“Volunteers’ Week Scotland offers a rare opportunity to mark the huge difference made by volunteers all over the country, and to catch the attention of potential new recruits. Don’t miss out on what’s set to be an inspirational week.”