21/10/2026
💜 Could You Help Us Support Families Affected by Drug and Alcohol Use?
Hamoaze House is looking for volunteer SMART Family & Friends Facilitators and Co-Facilitators to help us expand our support across Plymouth.
When someone struggles with drugs or alcohol, the impact is rarely felt by that person alone.
Partners, parents, children, friends and loved ones can experience years of worry, uncertainty, anxiety, isolation and emotional exhaustion.
And yet, across Plymouth, there is still relatively little dedicated support for the families and friends of people experiencing addiction.
We want to help change that. 💜
🌱 Let us tell you about Claire
Claire had spent years worrying about someone she loved who was struggling with alcohol.
Her days had become dominated by trying to manage the situation. She worried about what might happen next, tried to prevent crises, avoided difficult conversations and gradually found that her own wellbeing had slipped further and further down the list.
She loved her family member desperately, but she was exhausted.
When Claire first came to a SMART Family & Friends meeting, she wasn't sure what to expect. She wondered whether she would be judged, whether she would have to share personal things, or whether anyone would really understand.
What she discovered was a group of people who understood much of what she was experiencing.
Through SMART Family & Friends, Claire began learning practical tools to manage her own emotions, establish healthier boundaries, communicate differently and recognise that she could care deeply about someone without taking responsibility for every decision they made.
Perhaps most importantly, she began to understand that her wellbeing mattered too.
The situation at home didn't magically change. But Claire's relationship with it did. She became more confident, less isolated and better able to make decisions about her own life.
💜 We want more families to have that opportunity
Hamoaze House already delivers the SMART Family & Friends programme, every Friday 1-3 pm and we are now planning to expand into a new venue in the north of Plymouth, making support more accessible to families across the city.
To help us achieve this, we are looking for compassionate, reliable, understanding and non-judgemental volunteers who would like to train as facilitators and co-facilitators.
🤝 What would volunteering involve?
Approximately 3–4 hours per week.
Completing SMART Family & Friends facilitator training, which we will provide.
Participating in any other relevant training and support.
Helping to deliver welcoming, supportive and structured group meetings.
Supporting people to learn practical tools for managing the impact of a loved one's drug or alcohol use.
Working alongside other volunteers and experienced Hamoaze staff as the programme develops.
You do not need to be a counsellor, therapist or experienced group facilitator.
We are looking for people with compassion, emotional maturity, kindness, good listening skills and a genuine desire to help others.
We particularly welcome interest from people who have personal experience of supporting someone affected by addiction, although lived experience is not essential.
🌿 Our longer-term vision: families supporting families
Our ambition is for SMART Family & Friends to become an increasingly peer-led programme, with people who have completed and benefited from the programme going on to help others.
We believe there is something particularly powerful about people with lived experience supporting others who are travelling a similar path.
However, like many successful peer-support networks, it takes a combination of volunteers, experienced professionals, training and encouragement to get things started.
That is where you could make a real difference.
We want to create a growing, sustainable network of family support across Plymouth, where nobody feels they have to face the effects of a loved one's addiction alone.
💌 Interested? We'd love to hear from you.
If you think this might be something you would enjoy, please send us a short covering letter explaining why you are interested in volunteering and what motivates you to support families and loved ones affected by drug and alcohol use.
Email: [Insert application email address]
Not sure whether it's right for you? Just give us a call.
📞 01752 566100
Leave a message for Andy Maguire, Chief Executive, and Andy will call you back for an informal, friendly chat. There is absolutely no obligation to apply, and you are welcome to ask any questions before deciding whether to send in a letter.
📍 Hamoaze House, Plymouth
Please share this post. The right volunteer may be someone you know, and together we can help make sure more families across Plymouth receive the understanding, practical support and encouragement they deserve.
💜 Hamoaze House
“We will believe in you until you believe in yourself.”
