Volunteers needed to help families in crisis

Wiltshire Council wants more support to give people the help they need

Author: Mohammed FaizPublished 22nd Jun 2022

Wiltshire Council has urged for more people to join their volunteer roles which are there for children, young people and parents when facing difficult challenges or at a crisis point in their lives.

Wiltshire Council Community Involvement Team currently has 60 volunteers supporting families and children and young people however more are always needed for specific roles.

Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said:

“We are fortunate to have adult volunteers who are an inspiration to those needing support and advice, and we have some great stories of volunteers who have made a difference. There are more people needing help than volunteers so we are keen to encourage more to come forward.

“We will provide the right training and support for you while you go out and have a positive impact in some young person’s life. There are different types of support you can offer and it can be over a short period or longer period of time. We’d love to talk to you about these roles so you can decide if it’s right for you.”

Wiltshire Council is also looking for support with a new role of a parent mentor who can spare around one hour a week for up to six months to support parents experiencing challenging times. The volunteers provide a friendly listening ear over a coffee and a chat.

It’s one of six roles involving support for young people – other roles are:

• Volunteer Referral Order Panel Members – they represent the community ensuring young people who offend take responsibility for their actions and help change their behaviour.

• Community mentors – help support a young person to develop their social skills, work towards goals, provide guidance and help increase self-confidence.

• Primary mentoring scheme – adults who spend around an hour each week in primary schools during the school day supporting children to build resilience by having fun and trying new things.

• Appropriate adults – look after the interests of young people who are being interviewed by police when a parent is not available.

• Transitional mentors - support vulnerable young people aged 16 – 25 as they move into adulthood.

You need t be 18 or over to get involved and can fnd out more by contacting communityinvolvementteam@wiltshire.gov.uk

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