Volunteering Volunteers give their time because they want to, not because they have to. This creates a special relationship with parents who are struggling, and makes our work with families very successful. Volunteer support is effective and cost effective. It is a way of transforming the lives of families. Even those with complex problems. There are more than 16,500 volunteers giving their time and experience in 269 local Home-Starts across the UK. 14,000 of them are home visiting volunteers 2,000 others are trustees Even more help out as fundraisers, group workers, etc Some are health workers giving support in specialist areas such as post natal illness Others give their professional skills and time to help with marketing and promotion or IT support Home-Start's own research shows that it is not only families who benefit from a volunteer's support, the volunteers do too. And so do their communities. People who volunteer for Home-Start have: better health and wellbeing improved personal and skills development improved chances for work more self confidence Find out more about Home-Start's research into the benefits of volunteering.