Volunteering in a Family or Youth Hub

Hear what our volunteers have to say about the work they do at the family and youth hubs.

There are many different opportunities available which include:

• Family Hub support and community engagement

• Youth club and street work activities

• Providing support and guidance to other parents

Sound good?  

Apply here or read more details below. 

As a youth volunteer, you can: 

• help to prepare for sessions  

• welcome and take the register for arrivals 

• support the staff leading the session and young people participating in the session. 

• Become a driver for door-to-door pickups and trips linked with youth activities.  

Youth work is delivered in a variety of ways, and you could help at any of the following sessions: 

• Open Access Youth Clubs – Youth clubs open to all young people. 

• Additional Needs Youth Clubs (SEND) – Youth clubs specialising in activities for SEND young people. 

• Youth Voice – Giving young people a voice in local, regional, and national debates e.g. forums, youth council or youth parliament. 

• Detached – Street based youth work where staff go out to the location of the young people e.g. in local parks and recreation areas. 

• Projects e.g. Branching Out – Where young people’s needs are identified and are brought together, sometimes with a time limited funding stream. Generally outdoor activities. 

We have a range of opportunities for volunteering within the Family Hubs which can be different for each volunteer depending on skills, experience, and interests. 

This could include: 

• Supporting basic administrative tasks. 

• Taking care of the hub resources and environment such as tidying and organising, gardening, creating displays and information. 

• Welcoming users to the building and making drinks. 

• Helping in our groups and interventions. 

• Sharing and promoting our information within the local community.

Here’s what our Family Hub volunteers said: 

‘I enjoyed meeting new people and being part of a positive team when volunteering in the family hub. It helped me grow my confidence and communications skills’ – Shahla 

‘I’m happy I decided to push myself and go for it. There is such a strong sense of community at the family hubs, and I always enjoyed being given the creative freedom to plan my own activities for the stay and play sessions.’ – Caitlin 

If you’re interested, you can fill out an application form here. 

Empowering parents empowering communities (EPEC) parent group leader

Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities (EPEC) courses are led by local parents who have completed our accredited EPEC training. The course aims to help parents learn: 

•  Practical communication skills for everyday life to help bring up confident, happy and supported children.  

• Positive strategies to help manage your children’s behaviour. 

• How to better understand and support your children’s feelings. 

As an EPEC parent group leader, you will receive full training to deliver this course to other parents. 

If you want to help families in the Wakefield District build strong relationships, manage everyday challenges, and support their children’s emotional wellbeing, this could be the volunteering role for you. 

You will be fully trained, supported and supervised to deliver the EPEC Being a Parent course to local parents who are interested in giving their children the best possible start in life. 

Training is free and is typically over a 12-week period. During the course, you’ll gain practical parenting tools and  the skills to deliver parenting sessions to other parents in your community. Helping them to learn communication skills for everyday life and bring up confident and happy children. 

The training includes:

• Friendly, supportive learning environment
• Practical parenting and facilitation skills
• Meet other local parents
• Ongoing support from our local EPEC team
• Volunteer expenses and the opportunity to earn Citizen Coin 

The video opposite shows you more about the course and you can also hear from one of our own volunteer parents on her experience as a PGL. 

Want to find out more? Contact Cheryl on 07342 092046 or email cainleydawson@wakefield.gov.uk to learn more about upcoming training sessions. 

One of our EPEC group leaders said, 

‘When I first started the role, my aim was to help other parents and families the way that the hub had helped me. I enjoyed delivering the EPEC group so much that I am now going to train to deliver a new group to parents. Volunteering has made me realise that I have a lot of lived experience which helps me to support others.’ – Kelly 

Volunteer engagement worker 

This role is all about helping families get the support they need from the Family Hubs. Sometimes families find it hard to ask for help, and your role will be helping them to feel more comfortable, making it easier for them to ask for support. 

As a Family Engagement Volunteer, you will be a friendly and caring person who helps families feel comfortable and confident. Some families might feel worried or unsure about coming to the Family Hub. They might be busy, nervous about participating in groups or not know what help is available to them. 

Your job is to be a warm, non-judgmental person who will listen to parents, understand their worries, and guide them so they can get the help they deserve. Giving reassurance to make things easier. This could mean: 

• Explaining what services we offer. 

• Meet the individual at the hub. 

• Being a kind and patient person that they can trust. 

• Supporting the individual to get the most out of the group. 

If you’re interested in this role, fill out an application form here.