What volunteers think...

"I left school at 16 with no qualifications - completing this course for Home-Start is like receiving an honours degree and this is just the start... I've got the taste for learning!"

"I'm a mum of two children, one of them has various problems, so I understand the pressures of family life. I've been lucky, help has always been there. Now it's my turn to help - because I can. Being a volunteer is something I am proud of."

"The support that Home-Start offers its volunteers after the training course is brilliant and the ongoing training means that there is always something new to learn. It also helps in my personal life. I lost confidence after I had to give up work because of ill health and although I now have a certain amount of control on my condition, without Home-Start I would never have got my confidence back. Home-Start not only helps families with young children, it also helps the volunteers in many many ways too."

"It's a good experience. I feel there is always good backup and support. I've learned loads and gained a lot more that I've given."

"Home-Start training is excellent and I have already gained three Open College Network Credits and hope to gain some more through Home-Start's ongoing training."

"Volunteering for Home-Start came just at the right time for me, I had always been interested in volunteering and I had time on my hands. Giving up three hours a week was manageable and I really liked the idea of doing something positive for someone else. As a male volunteer I can offer a difference perspective from the female volunteers and my hours are normally spent with the family doing practical things such as playing football with the children, helping dad make appointments and assisting with the DIY."