Volunteer mums’ army supports struggling families throughout the pandemic

(Volunteers’ Week June 1 – 7)

A team of Barnardo’s volunteers has been working tirelessly through the pandemic to give struggling families a helping hand so they can stay safe and stay together.

The Bridgend Practical Household Management Service is made up of volunteers, many of them mums and grandmothers with years of experience of running a home and bringing up a family.

They help families who feel overwhelmed with the responsibilities of parenting and domestic life, to the point where their children may be at risk of being taken into care without support.

The volunteers offer a wide range of advice to families, whether it’s setting up behaviour boundaries and bedtime routines for children or working with parents to create cleaning routines and cook healthy meals. They help them access financial help, medical appointments, accommodation and specialist support.

Before the lockdown the volunteers visited families in their homes every week and despite the challenges of having to switch support to video and telephone calls they have managed to continue helping around 25 families. They have delivered cleaning products, Christmas and Easter gifts and even provided essential baby equipment for a family with an unexpected arrival.

Some of the volunteers have used their experience to find jobs as support workers which is why the service is using this week, Volunteering Week, to appeal for more people to join the team.

Cheryl Crowell, volunteer co-ordinator with Barnardo’s Cymru, said: “Sometimes a parent has just become overwhelmed and needs someone to help them introduce structure and routine. We are there to support them, not judge them, and our volunteers need to have empathy and good listening skills.

“The work is hugely rewarding and families have been particularly grateful that we have been there for them during the last 14 months when some other services haven’t. Our volunteers have had to deal with their own life changes during the pandemic but have always been available to listen to the families’ concerns about home schooling, shielding or shopping online for groceries.

“They are the silent service working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure families continue to get appropriate help during a very difficult period. I’m really proud of the team. Many of our families say they couldn’t have managed without them.”

The volunteer’s story:

Hayley Davies knows what it’s like to feel overwhelmed as a parent. A single mum to four children, one with complex needs, she first came into contact with Barnardo’s Cymru when she was supported by the charity’s disability service Atebion.

The help she received not only enabled her to cope with her son’s needs but made her want to help other families facing challenges.

Now she is the one parents can turn to when struggling to cope with a disabled child or mental health issues, using the experience and knowledge she has gained to help them through.

“When families realise we are volunteers and are not getting paid they know we are there because we really want to help,” she said.

Hayley worked as an accountant before the pressures of raising four children on her own and coping with her son’s needs forced her to give up her profession.

“It was a hard decision as I’d worked since I was 13 but my son’s needs were unpredictable. It was the Atebion team who said my experiences of working with so many professionals could be really useful in a volunteering role. It’s been brilliant because I feel I am doing something useful with all I have learnt and I’m giving something back.”

She is currently supporting two families through Bridgend’s Practical Home Management. “It’s challenging but I have a lot of support from Cheryl who is great at matching the right volunteer and family. I just want to help families who think there is no hope.

“Professionals don’t often have the life experiences our families are facing, so it’s really helpful for those families to have someone who has been through it and can hold their hand. It is really lovely when you get to see how much progress they can make.

“Even through Covid the whole team has stepped up. We are a diverse group and we all bring something unique and support each other. We were determined to continue to support the families throughout this time as we know how tough things have been for them.”