Rainbows Ireland would not exist without its volunteer facilitators and coordinators. Rainbows Facilitators come from many professions – teachers, special needs assistants, health & social care/family support/community workers, youth workers.

Some train as Facilitators motivated by needs they have observed in their work with children and young people, others attended Rainbows as  a child/young person, others want to makes a difference in the life of a child/young person often having experienced grief and loss as a child themselves.

To become a Rainbows Facilitator , please complete this form. 

Note: Facilitators need to be recruited by a registered Rainbows Centre or have been recruited directly by Rainbows Ireland before applying for Facilitator training.  

Do I need any qualifications to become a Rainbows Volunteer?

No. However, it does help to have experience and a passion to work with children and young people. Our experience is that many Facilitators traditionally come from frontline services, such as teaching, nursing, social workers, youth workers who meet and identify the needs of children and young people experiencing significant grief and loss resulting from family bereavement, parental separation and divorce.

Time Commitment

All selected and recruited Facilitators, by their agency, are required to attend 30 hour training (with a small course fee). Facilitators on entry agree to facilitate for a minimum of 2-4 years – which includes supporting at least  one none week group support annually. Facilitators are in a probationary period until four programmes have been facilitated.
Rainbows Volunteers are required to attend ongoing training as part of continuing professional development and remain up to date on all policies, procedures and Child Protection Guidelines.

Is full attendance required at training?

Full attendance at training is mandatory.

Application Process

Complete an Expression of Interest Form. You will be contacted by a staff member of Rainbows National office to begin the recruitment process.  

Recruited Facilitators are required to attend for interview and identify referees.

Following the interview, successful applicants will then submit:
1. Training Booking Form
2. Garda Vetting Invitation

Once all necessary paperwork have been processed you will then attend all 4 days of training

Please carefully consider the following points before applying for training:

• There is a responsibility on all those thinking of applying to become a Rainbows Facilitator to seriously consider exactly what your motivation is to be part of Rainbows. Children and young people and their needs must be at the core of your motivation.
• If you have experienced a significant loss in your life within the last year, we ask you to consider this before applying and defer your application.
• You must attend all 4 days of the training, including additional reading material.
• Garda Vetting for Rainbows Ireland must be completed before any volunteer can sit in a Rainbows Group. The procedure under GARDA Vetting is that every person is vetted for every role they have when with children and young people.
• All volunteers, once recruited are in a probationary phase, beginning at training and finishing once four full programmes have been facilitated at a Programme Centre