Organisation Name:
Treasure Chest
Organisation's Cause(s):
Children / Young People / Families
Health
Women
Location of voluntary activity:
We are looking for volunteers at our weekly support groups in Acomb, Heworth and the City Centre, and our monthly antenatal workshops. Once you have trained and volunteered for at least six months, you may do extra training to allow you to volunteer at York Hospital on the postnatal ward. Volunteers also respond to queries via our Facebook group.
When are volunteers needed: Tuesday mornings, city centre (York St John University)
Thursday mornings, Heworth (Christ Church, Stockton Lane)
Friday mornings, Acomb (Methodist Church).
Third Saturday of each month (antenatal workshops)
Type of Voluntary Activity:
Advice / Information / Support
Group Facilitation
Role description:
Breastfeeding/chestfeeding Peer Supporters provide a valuable role to new and expectant families. Volunteers give up their time to offer support and up-to-date information to families who may be experiencing breastfeeding issues or who just need some external support from someone who has been there and understands what breastfeeding is like.
Skills and behaviours needed for the role:
Our only requirement is that you must have breastfed/chestfed your baby for at least six months (continuously). This includes feeding expressed breastmilk and combination feeding. We are happy to accept applications from parents of any age – you do not need to currently have a baby or young child. It doesn’t matter whether you found breastfeeding easy and straightforward or if you struggled and had lots of problems; all we ask is that you are passionate about breastfeeding and wish to support families in a non-judgement, empathetic way.
We ask that you plan to volunteer for at least two years following training.
Will there be a DBS check? Yes
Driving Licence required? No
Volunteer's own vehicle required? No
Suitable for:
Ongoing Volunteering
What will the volunteer gain/benefit from:
Katherine, one of our volunteer Peer Supporters, said “It’s so good to be able to support parents in making informed choices that are right for them. And there’s no feeling like seeing a family leave the group looking happier than when they came in!”
You'll undergo an in-depth training course to build on your skills and experience.
Our Peer Supporter training course typically consists of five two-hour sessions spread across three months in York. In Autumn 2025, these will be on Thursday mornings, 9.30-11.30am in Bishopthorpe. Training is given by an experienced International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and an experienced Peer Supporter.
The course covers areas such as how breastfeeding works, how to tackle common breastfeeding problems and counselling and listening skills.
Alongside the face-to-face sessions, you will study the ABM’s Peer Supporter course, which is online, self-led learning over 12 weeks.
We offer regular update training sessions and all Peer Supporters are expected to attend at least two of these per year in order to keep their skills and knowledge up to date.
How to get involved:
Please look at further information on our website, and the get in touch by email to treasurechestyork@gmail.com for an application form and reference form.
Applications to train in Autumn 2025 close on 29 August, but please apply early as spaces are limited and we will allocate them as applications arrive.
Web link: Click here
Closing date: 29-08-2025