What Impact Can I Have as a Volunteer?

At Step by Step, most volunteers do not work directly with young people. Instead, they support events, assist with administration, represent us in the community, help with fundraising, or provide behind the scenes expertise. While this may feel indirect, it is essential. Every action contributes to our mission to Take A Stand Against Youth Homelessness.

The Impact You Can Have Behind the Scenes

Youth homelessness is not solved by one person or one role. It requires coordinated effort. Professional staff deliver accommodation, counselling, life skills programmes and specialist support. Volunteers strengthen that work in practical, powerful ways.

Supporting the Services That Change Lives

When you help at a fundraising event, assist in the office, prepare resources, or represent Step by Step at a community stall, you are helping services run smoothly and sustainably.

Administrative support allows frontline teams to focus more time on young people. Event support helps raise vital funds. Community representation increases awareness and builds trust. These contributions create the conditions in which meaningful support can happen.

You may not sit in a counselling session or deliver a workshop, but your involvement helps ensure those services can continue.

Increasing Capacity and Reach

Step by Step supports over 1,500 young people aged 11 to 25 each year across Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset, Wiltshire, West Berkshire and West Sussex. Extending that reach requires time, organisation and community backing.

Volunteers increase capacity. When you give a few hours to help prepare an event, manage enquiries, organise materials or support a campaign, you expand what is possible. Increased capacity means more awareness, more funding and ultimately more young people accessing the right support at the right time.

Impact is often collective rather than individual. Your role is part of a much larger picture.

The Impact You Can Have on the Wider Community

Youth homelessness affects entire communities. Preventing it requires understanding, early intervention and public support.

Raising Awareness and Challenging Stigma

By volunteering at events or representing Step by Step in your local area, you help increase understanding of youth homelessness and its causes. You help shift conversations away from blame and towards solutions.

Awareness leads to action. When more people understand the realities young people face, they are more likely to support prevention efforts, donate, partner with us or seek help early.

Strengthening Local Networks

Volunteers often act as connectors. Through your workplace, faith group, social circle or local networks, you may introduce new supporters, sponsors or opportunities. Those connections can translate into funding, partnerships or practical support that directly benefits young people.

Communities become stronger when individuals step forward and take responsibility for the wellbeing of the next generation.

The Impact You Can Have on a Young Person’s Future

Even without direct contact, your contribution plays a role in shaping outcomes.

Consider a young person moving into supported accommodation after a period of instability. They will receive structured support from trained staff, access to life skills programmes and guidance towards education or employment.

Behind that support is infrastructure. There are funded services, organised events, maintained buildings, prepared resources and community partnerships. Volunteers help make all of that possible.

Your time may help raise the funds that keep a Foyer open. It may support an awareness event that encourages an earlier referral. It may free up staff capacity so a young person can receive timely help. While you may never meet them, your contribution becomes part of their journey towards independence.

Impact is not always visible. It is often woven into the systems that protect and empower young people.

Taking A Stand Together

Taking A Stand Against Youth Homelessness means recognising that change is built through collective effort. Some roles are visible and direct. Others are strategic and supportive. Both are essential.

View our current volunteering opportunities today and take the next step. Join us in Taking A Stand Against Youth Homelessness and play your part in creating lasting change for young people across your community.