Volunteers with Special Needs

To the prospective volunteer helper

If you have special needs and would like to help at Lighthouse we would love to have you as a volunteer. In order to make your time volunteering successful and fun we might need you to get some extra support. If you have any of the following you will need someone to give you 1:1 support at Lighthouse:

  • Additional 1:1 support at school or attending a special needs school
  • Living in a group home, supported living or similar
  • Support to access the community, employment or voluntary work

You can bring a capable friend or family member with you to Lighthouse to provide that support.  Alternatively ask your parent or carer to arrange that support.

You need to tell us about your special needs when you fill out your application form, and any arrangements that have been made.

To the prospective volunteer's parent or carer

If you can arrange or provide support yourself, please ensure the supporter also completes the application form, applying for the same role(s) as the young person/adult.  Please include in the notes details of who is being supported.

If there is no-one available to provide support then we are encouraging parents and carers to apply for a grant from which they can pay support workers to work with their young people/adults. A grant was sought in 2012 which was successful. If you wish to be part of a group of parents and carers applying for grants, please send your contact details to admin@lighthousecentral.org.  These details will be collated and emailed out to all the interested parents and carers.  Unfortunately Lighthouse do not have the admin capacity to apply for the grant, therefore, once parents/ carers have each other’s contact details it will be their responsibility to make any application(s).

Please note there is no guarantee the funding will be secured and without a support worker in place we do not have the capacity to accept adults or young people with special needs to volunteer at Lighthouse. If the young person/adult meets the requirements that would suggest 1:1 is needed, but you feel this is unnecessary, please put this in writing to the Lighthouse chairman and the trustees will consider each individual case.

Thank you.

The Lighthouse Admin Team