Volunteer with us
Every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive, but leaving the care system can be extremely isolating and challenging. Care-experienced young adults often do not have family or community networks to provide the crucial support needed to successfully transition to independent living and adult life. With time, empathy and compassion, we can support care-experienced young adults overcome some of the difficulties they face, and move towards more positive futures.
How can volunteers provide support?
Practical support in the home
Measuring for curtains/blinds, wallpaper stripping, painting, cleaning, decluttering, building flatpack furniture, DIY (e.g. hanging shelves and blinds). Sometimes more specialised skills are needed e.g. plumbing or electrical. Whilst practical support tasks can be adhoc, we have an increasing need to help young people settle into their new homes. Support may include evenings and weekends. Volunteers accept the tasks that suit their own schedule.
Helping with driving and deliveries
Picking up and delivering home goods e.g. donated furniture and other home items, collecting food, hygiene and other donations and dropping off to a care-experienced young adult. These tasks are ad hoc and do not require a regular commitment, our driving volunteers accept the tasks that suit their own schedule. Transport essential, expenses can be reimbursed.
Befriending
Providing social and emotional support to offer a sense of belonging and stability. This may involve being a listening ear, and helping a young person build social networks within the community and navigate the challenges of independent living. Sometimes this may involve more administrative help for example, helping with application forms and managing household bills. Once we have matched the right volunteer to a young adult, a regular time commitment will be agreed.
N.B. For one-to-one volunteering, we will carry out an interview, enhanced DBS check, reference check and you will need to complete safeguarding training​.
Organising social events
Isolation is sadly very common amongst the care-experienced community. Those we have been supporting have expressed the desire for more opportunities to get together to socialise and to experience new things. In 2025, we would like to offer more social events for groups. Volunteers would be responsible for organising a social event within a budget and in consultation with those we support.
Register your interest in becoming a volunteer
Please complete the registration form and we will contact you within two weeks. If you have any queries please email volunteers@cocooncareaftercare.org.uk