Facilitate an adult sibling support group
***Applications for this voluntary role have now closed for 2024***
Applications for this voluntary role have now closed. We aim to run the facilitator training once every two years (subject to funding).
If you’re interested in volunteering in future, please click below to register your interest. When a new date is available, we’ll email and let you know how you can apply.
You can also find lots of other ways to be involved here.
Love connecting people?
Are you an adult sibling who grew up with a disabled brother or sister? Are you passionate about helping other adult siblings to meet and support each other? Read more about becoming a volunteer adult sibling support group facilitator here.
What’s the role?
This is a voluntary role for an adult sibling support group facilitator.
You’ll be running online support group meetings for adults who have (or had) a brother or sister who has a lifelong disability and/or a neurodiversity. You’ll join a team of 2-3 other volunteer facilitators to run your group together.
Here’s what the role involves:
- Take part in a full-day online training session
- Keep a mailing list, check the group email address and reply to messages from new members and from Sibs
- Plan and hold online meetings every 4 – 6 weeks
- Facilitate the meetings! Guide the discussion and encourage peer support among members
- Come to your online support check-ins with Sibs and your team mates to chat about how the group is going
- As a sibling yourself, you’ll be a member of the group too! We want facilitators to receive as well as give peer support
“Being a facilitator for Sibs has given me a space where I can talk about feelings and experiences and emotions that I’ve never been able to speak to anyone else to about before” – Jack, facilitator
Does this sound like you?
At Sibs, we welcome everyone. We are proud to have volunteers from all backgrounds, experiences, and walks of life. We particularly encourage applications from siblings who are part of marginalised communities—those who may have faced prejudice, discrimination, or barriers based on factors such as sexual orientation, gender identity, health conditions or disabilities, carer status, age, socio-economic background, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, education level, or religion or belief. We deeply value the diversity of our volunteer team because it enriches our sibling community and helps ensure we meet the diverse needs of the people we support. The one thing all our volunteers share is a passion for supporting siblings! Below, you can find more about the personal qualities we’re looking for.
Does this sound like you?
- You’re a sibling! You have, or had, a brother or sister with a lifelong disability and/or neurodiversity
- You’re aged 18 or over and you live in the UK
- You love working as part of a small team, sharing ideas and promoting each other’s strengths
- You’re amazing at keeping in touch. You respond to WhatsApp and email regularly and never leave people feeling ghosted
- You’re super organised. You’re always on the ball and know what’s happening and when
- You’re consistent and trustworthy – people can always rely on you
- You respect and value siblings and their disabled and/or neurodivergent brothers and sisters
- You’re inclusive of people from a wide range of backgrounds
- You’re known for being a great listener, always making people feel heard
- You can stick to time and keep people on topic too
- You’re a peacekeeper who can manage differences of opinion and conflict when needed
- You’d feel able to report a safeguarding concern if you needed to (we would support you with this – you wouldn’t be alone)
- You’ve got the space and energy in your life to commit to the role for a couple of years
“Being a facilitator for Sibs has given me the opportunity to meet other siblings and to discuss really important topics like future planning and managing our own health and wellbeing” – Olympia, facilitator
What’s the commitment?
- Complete a full-day online training session (approx. 6 hrs total)
- Weekly commitment – check group email address, respond to emails and update your mailing list, keep in touch with your team mates (approx. 1hr)
- Meeting commitment – plan and facilitate an online support group meeting every 4 – 6 weeks (approx. 2 hr meeting)
- Attend check-ins with Sibs (approx. 1 hr x3 a year)
It costs Sibs £218 to train a new volunteer and a further £374 to support a volunteer for one year. We ask volunteers to consider joining our friendly and supportive team for a couple of years, as we have a responsibility to ensure our investment is beneficial to the sibling community.
“Being a group facilitator has given me such a sense of purpose and fulfilment. Being able to connect siblings to one another and make them feel less alone has been really special. I’m so pleased that I go involved” – Hannah, facilitator
I’d love to apply for this volunteer role
Applications for this voluntary role have now closed. We aim to run the facilitator training once every two years (subject to funding).
If you’re interested in volunteering in future, please click below to register your interest. When a new date is available, we’ll email and let you know how you can apply.
You can also find lots of other ways to be involved here.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
All questions are welcome, no matter how big or small, so if you don’t see your question below just ping an email to [email protected]
What's in it for you?
You’ll be joining our community of adult sibling facilitators across the UK. This is a friendly and supportive team of volunteers, who you can keep in touch with on our private Facebook page and WhatsApp group. There’s also our online facilitator forum held twice a year. This is a great chance to discuss important topics, be involved in shaping the future of the groups and share tips/stories with other facilitators (over a glass of wine or a hot chocolate!).
Facilitating your group is a great way to use your personal sibling experiences to support others in similar situations. Being a group facilitator can help you develop new skills as well as tap into skills you already have. It can provide you with opportunities for long-term friendships and mutual support, as well as giving you a chance to reflect on your own journey as a sibling.
“Being a facilitator for Sibs has given me a great sense of belonging I would say, it’s so great to be able to talk to people who feel the same as you and experience some of the same emotions that you do and thoughts. And it’s great being able to be in a space that works together, brings people together, and a safe space for you to be able to just talk and not feel like you’re going to be judged and not feel like you’re not able to be your true authentic self. So being a facilitator for me has been great because it’s just been such a great way to bring people together” – Rebecca, facilitator
Is this the right time for me to volunteer?
It’s really important to us that facilitators love volunteering with Sibs, and find the role satisfying and rewarding. We would never want the role to become a burden on your time and energy levels. Also, we invest a great deal in our volunteers. It costs sibs £218 to train a new volunteer and a further £374 to support a volunteer for one year.
It’s important to think through any implications for yourself of facilitating a group so that you know you can make a positive commitment to it. Some good questions to ask yourself are:
- Do I have enough time and energy to do this as well as my other commitments?
- Can I commit to this for a couple of years?
- How will I support myself when life throws a curve-ball?
- Do I feel reasonably adjusted about my own sibling issues so that I can focus on supporting others?
- Will I be able to leave the issues raised behind at the end of the meeting?
If you love Sibs and you want to support what we do, the kindest thing you can do for us is to consider carefully whether you have the time and energy to commit to this role before applying. If you’re not able to commit but still want to support Sibs, there are lots of other ways you can be involved. We would love your support and enthusiasm! Check out more ideas here.
What's included in the training and support?
Due to the cost of running the training and recruiting volunteers, we’re only able to offer this once every two years (subject to receiving funding).
The training covers the practical elements of running a group; information on safeguarding; equality, diversity and inclusion; taking care of yourself; techniques for encouraging the participation of all group members; keeping the group on track and how to use different styles of support in a group setting. The training will also provide guidance on dealing with difficult group situations and how to support a sibling who is distressed. It’s very practical and interactive. You’ll be taking the training with new and current volunteers and you’ll be given tasks and activities to do throughout the session. You’ll need to join from a laptop or tablet and in a quiet space. After the session, you receive a volunteer handbook with all the information you need to run your group.
You’ll also receive three online check-ins with Sibs across the year. This is a chance for you and the other 2-3 volunteers in your team to get together, talk about your group and highlight anything you need more support with. We’re here with you every step of the way.
If you have a disability or ongoing health condition, please let us know and tell us what support you need in the role.
“The training was brilliant and made me feel awesome” – Julia, adult sibling group facilitator
What do current facilitators say about what it's like to volunteer for Sibs?
At Sibs, we’re committed to providing a positive and meaningful volunteer experience for siblings. Every year, we invite facilitators take part in an anonymous survey to ask about their experiences. Here’s the results from 2023:
“I would recommend becoming a group facilitator to other siblings” – 100% agreed or strongly agreed
“I have the resources and the support I need to carry out this role” – 100% agreed or strongly agreed
“The group has given me support I couldn’t have got anywhere else” – 92% agreed or strongly agreed
“The group has made me feel less alone and isolated as a sibling” – 100% agreed or strongly agreed
“The group has made me feel more resilient and able to cope with difficult times that come along in my life as a sibling” – 92% agreed or strongly agreed
“The group provides me with the information and the knowledge that I need as a sibling” – 92% agreed or strongly agreed
Want to hear more from our facilitators? Check out this video to hear more of their stories. Also, if you’d like to be put in touch with a current or past volunteer to ask more about the role and how they found it, we can arrange this.
I'm a bereaved sibling. My disabled brother died a few months ago. Can I volunteer?
Bereaved siblings are very much part of our group community here at Sibs and we warmly welcome your application. We would encourage bereaved siblings to consider applying after they’ve been through the first full year following their disabled brother or sister’s death. This is because the first year of grief can be especially turbulent. Find out more about sibling bereavement here.
I don't think this is the right role for me, but I'd love to support Sibs in a different way
We’d love to have your help! Check out more ways you can support us here.