Living with a child’s diagnosis can place considerable strain on the whole family and in recognition of this the Home Support Volunteer programme was established to help families cope with the demands of providing constant care. Home Support Volunteers provide a range of practical and social support to the families of children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions in the community and helping them make the most of every day!

As a Home Support Gardening Volunteer, you’ll offer practical help to families by taking on light gardening tasks that make their outdoor spaces easier to enjoy and maintain. Your support helps ease day-to-day pressures, giving families more time and energy for what matters most to them. This is a flexible, hands-on role carried out on an ad-hoc basis, with volunteering arranged in response to requests from families, making it ideal for someone who enjoys being outdoors and wants to make a meaningful, practical difference.

Volunteers are required to undergo an Enhanced DBS Check and supply 2 character references for this role.

All volunteers undergo an extensive training programme before starting in their role to give them the skills, knowledge and confidence to feel prepared. For this role, this includes:

Volunteer Information Session: All potential volunteers have to attend one of these sessions before they are able to support Noah’s Ark in any capacity.

Interview: This will take place at the Noah’s Ark Office or online at a mutually agreeable time.

Core Training: A full day of training on our approach to working with children and families including confidentiality boundaries, understanding grief and more.

Home Module Training: A weekday afternoon session to prepare volunteers for the specific requirements of the Home Support Volunteer role.

Safeguarding Training: 1 weekday evening, depending on the schedule, essential for ensuring the safety of our service.

Becoming a Home Support Volunteer provides a rewarding opportunity to directly support children with life-limiting/ life threatening conditions and their families.