Community Information Volunteer Volunteer Roles

Do you enjoy networking and meeting new people? Are you passionate about volunteering and supporting the serving community? If so, we would love to hear from you. You don’t need a military background, just the ability to get on with people, and a good level of IT skills.

What is a Serving Community Team Volunteering Coordinator?

There is a SSAFA presence throughout the serving community, both in the UK and overseas. In many areas, SSAFA have Serving Community Teams which offer financial, practical, and emotional support to serving personnel and their families. Each team is formed of a group of trained volunteers who make this possible.

A Volunteering Coordinator is a key role within the Team, supporting with local recruitment, induction, and celebration of volunteers and volunteering. They ensure volunteers are welcomed and supported. This role also has voting rights for the grant giving process.

What difference will you make?

Volunteers are the lifeblood of SSAFA. We have been involving volunteers in supporting the Armed Forces community for more than 130 years. Our beneficiaries come from all backgrounds and age groups and the number of people contacting us for help rises each year. To continue providing help when it’s needed most, SSAFA must maintain a diverse and committed network of volunteers who are skilled, supported and valued.

What will you be doing?

Although every SSAFA Serving Community Team has different needs, below are the main activities of a Volunteering Coordinator:

• Keeping track and keeping in touch: Maintaining accurate and up-to-date lists of volunteer details, ensuring volunteers complete training, checking in with volunteers about their experience and passing on feedback.
• Monitoring and planning: Working alongside the Chair to monitor volunteer numbers and develop plans to recruit new volunteers as required.
• Creating local links: Taking opportunities to advertise and promote volunteering opportunities locally, including linking with local volunteer centres and community groups. Liaising with the Engagement and Events Coordinator and SSAFA’s Marketing and Communications team for support with branding and publicity materials.
• Welcoming and supporting: Working in partnership with SSAFA Central Office teams to coordinate local volunteer recruitment and induction, supporting new volunteers through these steps. Ensuring every volunteer has access to supervision and support, signposting to support from SSAFA Central Office teams as required.
• Celebrating and saying thank you: Seeking opportunities to celebrate volunteering, engaging in local initiatives and finding ways to say thank you to volunteers for all their efforts.
• Partnership working: building positive relationships and working together with national and regional employees, who are available to offer you support.
• Being a volunteering champion: working with the Regional Operations Support Manager to promote volunteering best practice across the Team and ensure volunteers have the best possible experience with SSAFA.

What about training and support?

• Instructor led training alongside like-minded volunteers will guide you through everything you need to know about volunteering good practice and volunteer management.
• Online, e-learning, training modules to complete at home, so you are up to date on how to keep people and their personal information safe.
• Local induction and support.
• Access to a range of e-learning courses as well as local opportunities to keep your knowledge and skills up to date.
• Support from SSAFA volunteering and operations staff.
• Regular meetings and events to learn and share information.
• Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.
• Volunteers will be covered by SSAFA's Public Liability insurance while carrying out their role.

What can you gain from this volunteering role?

• Use your skills, knowledge and life experience to benefit others.
• Give back to the Armed Forces community.
• Become part of the SSAFA community and build networks across the serving community and local area.
• Experience, training, and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews.
• Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression!

What are we looking for?

• Friendly and approachable people with good written and verbal communication skills.
• Some experience of coordinating people is desirable but not essential.
• Empathy regarding the needs and challenges of the serving community
• Good IT skills e.g., ability to use email and Excel – you will receive your own SSAFA email address.
• Understanding of the importance of confidentiality and boundaries.
• A willingness to adhere to all relevant organisational policies and procedures.
• A belief in the impact of volunteering.

Depending on the needs of the team, this role would suit someone who would like to volunteer a few hours each week.

We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds, abilities, races, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and faiths and none. SSAFA are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support volunteers with disabilities to have access to the same opportunities and experiences as volunteers who do not.

Please note this is a volunteer role and does not form part of any contract of employment.

Minimum Age: 18

Are references required? Yes. Two-character references from people who know you well (not family members).

Is a criminal record check required? No

We work to make SSAFA as safe as possible for everyone. Part of this involves volunteers attending an informal interview, providing two suitable references, and completing relevant training for your role.

Join our amazing volunteer team to raise awareness of sight loss and RNIB services at local events. You’ll be making a real difference to people living with sight loss by helping to create a world without barriers. This face to face opportunity will see you providing information about RNIB services and activities to help people with sight loss live the lives they want, enabling them to hear about the support that is available, and how they can help others.

What you’ll be doing

• Creating a welcoming and interesting display stand.

• Speaking directly to people affected by sight loss.

• Being a friendly face of RNIB locally - engaging with a diverse range of people.

• Providing information and demonstrations of basic independent living aids for the general public and professionals.

What you’ll gain from the role

• An opportunity to give something back.

• A chance to build a strong community.

• A sense of achievement through the difference you make. 

• A chance to be part of a team of like-minded people

• An opportunity to develop and explore different roles with RNIB, including our internal job vacancies.

In return for donating your time we will provide:

• A supportive route to building your confidence in meeting members of the public and serving customers.

• A rewarding experience.

• A great Induction and training.

• A supportive manager.

• Regular updates and catchups.

• Expenses.

• An opportunity to connect with other volunteers.

In applying for / signing up for this role you agree to be contacted when we are seeking volunteers to help with an event in relation to this role description. We will contact you via a communication method for which you have given consent.

Midland Mencap is a charity which works and campaigns for accessible and inclusive services and a better quality of life for everyone with experience of learning disabilities and additional needs

Purpose of the role

With your friendly attitude and knowledge of the local area, you could be the support a Midland Mencap citizen needs to access and enjoy their local community and make a big difference to their lives.

Some of our citizens may be dealing with a variety of difficulties including depression, isolation, physical and mental health problems, Your role will be to help them to enjoy their local community in the way that they want; this may include activities such as going shopping, attending an event, visiting a park or a local facility – and having fun.

What would I be doing?

·Visit a Midland Mencap citizen

·Accompany them to agreed community locations and activities

·Provide a befriending support role to ensure the citizen enjoys a positive experience

·    To record and maintain basic records as required

·To ensure the activities undertaken complies with safeguarding, equal opportunities, health & safety and other policies and the guidelines provided by Midland Mencap.

What do I need?

· Being approachable and friendly

· Good communication skills

· Knowledge of, and able to travel to local places

· Accepting of others who might be different to you and the ability to work as part of a diverse team

· A willingness to learn and act within guidelines set out by Midland Mencap

· Good time management skills, reliability

· An enhanced DBS check will be required by all successful applicants.

When and where do you need me?

· A minimum of 2 visits per month

· Days and times are flexible and agreed in advance, but there may be some specific activities the citizen wishes to attend

· In the local community

What’s in it for me?

As one of our valued volunteers, Midland Mencap will offer you:

· The opportunity to make a difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities and their family carers

· An induction and settling in period

· Any training and development that is needed

· The chance to develop your skills and gain experience

· The opportunity to meet new people and be part of a diverse team

· Support within your role

· Any out-of-pocket travel expenses

· Lots of appreciation for your amazing contribution

· Positive wellbeing from doing something great

· Improve career opportunities by adding your volunteer role to a CV and ask us for a reference

The new role of Community Engagement Volunteer (CEV) will be at the centre of Jigsaw South East’s plans for the future.

We want to ensure that we increase our reach across our recently defined catchment and are able to support the children, young people and families who need our vital support.

The role of CEV will therefore assist with the following key areas:

• Presenting to schools, businesses and organisations across our local communities about our work and how we raise funds;
• Building recognition and awareness of our name and what we do;
• Assisting our Support Team to engage with Community Palliative Teams, Clinical Nurse Specialist Teams (particularly Cancer and Neurological Teams) and GP Surgeries to help us increase referrals to our service;
• Engaging with disadvantaged communities across our catchment who may be currently unaware of our support - we would like to focus on two areas (Crawley and Woking) and look to role out and recruit for other areas our service covers in the future (dependent on funding). 

Training

We will provide you with all of the information and training you need and you will join a vibrant and committed group of volunteers ensuring that children and young people across our communities will not be alone during their bereavement journey.

Jigsaw South East is committed to the wellbeing of our volunteers and we will provide you with the information and support you need to fulfil your volunteering role. You will have a named member of staff as a central point of contact, access to supervision where relevant and the opportunity to meet other Jigsaw South East volunteers on, at least, a quarterly basis.

Who we need:

Jigsaw South East believes in the value of voluntary activity as an important component of the organisation in supporting children, young people and their families when facing or following the death of a loved one.  

Jigsaw South East takes responsibility for ensuring that volunteers within its own organisation are appropriately involved, respected and valued for their contribution. 

We are looking for enthusiastic and passionate volunteers over the age of 18 (we will be looking to recruit under 18 Young Ambassadors shortly).

We are looking for volunteers with the following essential/desirable credentials and who can commit to at least one morning/afternoon a month. The volunteer agreement and commitment to Jigsaw SE will be reviewed after 18 months as we know that people’s circumstances change.

Essential:

Ability to adhere to JSE’s policies and protocols for safeguarding and confidentiality

Excellent communication skills

Excellent listening skills

Ability to work in a team participating
in activities

Experience of bereavement (personal and/or professional).

Desirable, but not essential:

Links to the local community

Experience with children

Knowledge of different religious and cultural beliefs around death and dying

Presentation skills

Use of a car or ability to travel to the two focused areas for piloting this role-  Crawley and Woking

As an engager of volunteers Jigsaw South East is committed to a policy of equal opportunities. This principle will apply to service delivery, recruitment, promotion, training, facilities, procedures and all terms and conditions. 

 Volunteers will be expected to adhere to Jigsaw South East’s Equal Opportunities Policy, a copy of which can be found within the Jigsaw South East’s Volunteer Pack.  

We will require a clear DBS check and two references.

About CARAS:

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a charity that supports refugees and asylum-seekers living in south-west London. We work primarily with people who are newly arrived in the UK, most of whom are living in temporary Home Office accommodation. Arriving as a refugee in the UK can be a terrifying and disempowering experience. Difficulties with language barriers, accessing services, financial insecurity and ongoing uncertainty are extremely challenging and disempowering. CARAS is here to work collaboratively with community members to support them to build skills, connect meaningfully with their local community, and to build positive futures in the UK. 

CARAS offers a range of individual and group support to improve the holistic wellbeing of people who have a forced displacement background. For adults this currently includes: ESOL, digital skills and employability sessions; social and recreational activities and casework. All programs are interlinked and work hand-in-hand with one another. For example, community members can practice their spoken English in Coffee Afternoon, and casework issues might be picked up and referred into the team during an ESOL class. We design and develop our programs through consultation and ongoing conversations with our community members. We aim to have a strong volunteer presence across all our programs, fostering connections between asylum seekers and other Londoners! 

About CARAS’s Adult Programming and Coffee Afternoon:

CARAS has been providing support to adult refugee women since 2005, promoting skills and confidence development that helps women gain more power in their lives. In the aftermath of COVID, we have been able to expand our adult programmes, responding to the shifting demographics of those seeking asylum in the UK. We now run a range of mixed programmes for all genders, as well as some women-only spaces. Our coffee afternoon is a mixed group. 

Our coffee afternoon has been running since May 2022 and is one of our most popular groups. It takes place at TARA Theatre in Earlsfield from 1-2.30PM every Friday. Its primary aim is to reduce isolation amongst those we work with by providing a safe, friendly and welcoming space for people to have fun, learn about themselves and each other, and build connections.

In 2023, we have been running creative sessions during Coffee Afternoon, facilitated by freelance creative practitioners in partnership with TARA Theatre. These range from dance to drama, poetry to puppetry. For sessions without a creative practitioner, we sometimes host workshops on important topics such as healthcare rights or have an open and informal space for games and a chat. There is always coffee and a selection of baked goods! 

For more information on TARA Theatre, our partner and host, please visit their website.

Tasks and Responsibilities: 

• To attend CARAS coffee afternoon’s, every Friday between 1-2.30PM in Earlsfield, South-west London. They take place at TARA Theatre, right opposite Earlsfield Station. Location here- https://maps.app.goo.gl/rXwJiKHRj93YFtLG9 (356 Garratt Ln, London SW18 4ES). 
• If there is a week this is not possible, to tell CARAS staff as far in advance as you are able. 
• To welcome and connect with community members attending, working to ensure everyone at the group feels included. 

• To take part if there is a creative activity happening in that session, and help liaise with CARAS staff and the creative practitioner to ensure the activity runs smoothly. 
• To encourage and inspire community members to feel confident and reach their full potential. 
• To share conversation, and chat informally with our community members.
• To assist community members to both recognise and celebrate their achievements. 
• To challenge negative attitudes and behaviour in an appropriate manor. 
• To adhere to CARAS Confidentiality policy, Health & Safety policy, Equal Opportunities policy and all other policies as relevant. 

Requirements:

• To have interest in working with refugees and asylum seekers. 
• To be non-judgemental, and able and willing to engage with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, and differing levels of English. 
• To be reliable and punctual. 
• To be a current resident in the UK. 
• To provide five years’ worth of addresses and be willing to undergo a UK DBS check.
• To attend CARAS General and Safeguarding Training, and any further training as necessary. 
• To be 18 years or older. 

Through volunteering with us you will:

• Meet new members of your local community 
• Learn about different cultures and life experiences from across the world 
• Learn about issues relating to refugee and asylum seekers 
• Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team 
• Develop your skills and competencies 
• Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding 

To Apply:

Please fill in the volunteer application form and email it to us. Successful applicants will have an informal meeting with the Head of Adult Inclusion and Adult Program Coordinator these meetings will be on a rolling basis so apply ASAP! 

Details for this role are in the description and not mentioned in the application form but please fill in your details in the Volunteer application form attached and send it back to us 

About CARAS: 

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a charity that supports refugees and asylum-seekers living in South West London, and helps them to play their full part in the community. Arriving as an asylum seeker in the UK can be a terrifying and disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. We exist to help people seeking asylum overcome those challenges, and to help them rebuild their lives. 

We offer a range of individual and group support to improve the holistic wellbeing of people who have a forced displacement background, providing them the tools they need to build lives filled with value, meaning and purpose in the UK. Our activities for adults include currently include: ESOL classes; sports; women’s creative writing; women’s coffee morning, and casework. 

About the CARAS Adult Team: 

In the post-pandemic environment, CARAS is responding to the role of digital literacies in our programme delivery to learners of asylum-seeking and refugee background. In contrast to the UK essential Digital skills framework, we have built in language inclusion to create a participatory learning course for Essential Digital Literacies for learners who are new to reading and writing in English. The individuals joining CARAS are highly diverse, with different countries of origin, linguistic and educational backgrounds. We have observed over the last year that many CARAS community members have limited digital skills, particularly in regard to using computers. Community members have highlighted that computers are important for many individuals to achieve their educational and employment goals, whilst increasing confidence and independence. We have co-designed a digital skills program in partnership with CARAS community members to improve computer literacy and skills, focusing on basic computer literacy.

About the Role: 

We are seeking two volunteers based in London to teach our lively computer classes in Tooting every Monday 9:00-11:00. Volunteers will lead the sessions with guidance from the CARAS ESOL Teacher and will work closely with our community members to build their skills and confidence using computers. The Digital Literacies course at CARAS is built around Pre-entry to Entry 2 levels in English. Volunteers will be supporting individuals with tasks such as: getting to know how to use a computer, using the internet, setting up an email address, and using Microsoft office. We intend to fold employability sessions, including CV writing and job searching, into these sessions. 

Volunteer Tasks and responsibilities: 

· Lead on the delivery of sessions with support from CARAS’s Essential Digital Skills Teacher. 

· Assist with the logistical set up of the sessions, supporting CARAS staff where needed. 

· Work collaboratively as a team and assisting to shape the project. 

· Create class registers and records as required. 

· To attend and contribute to volunteer pre- and de-briefs at each session. 

· To act as a positive role model and set standards of behaviour when volunteering. 

· Support people to develop their knowledge and skills and encourage and inspire participants to reach their full potential. 

· To assist participants to both, recognise and celebrate their achievements. 

· To challenge negative attitudes and behaviour in an appropriate manor. 

· Advocate for the rights of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants with not for them. 

· Adhering to CARAS Confidentiality policy, Health & Safety policy, Equal Opportunities policy and all other policies as relevant. 

Requirements: 

· To be non-judgemental, and able and willing to engage with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. 

· To be female identifying. 

· Have a good understanding of how to use a computer. 

· To be reliable and punctual. 

· Excellent presentation and communication skills, especially with people with varying levels of English. 

· Commitment to support people seeking asylum to take control of their asylum journey. 

· Ability to volunteer every Friday for a minimum of three months. 

· Current resident in the UK. 

· Ability to work in Tooting SW17. 

· To provide five years’ worth of addresses and be willing to undergo a DBS check. 

· To attend CARAS General and Safeguarding Training sessions. 

· To be 18 years or older. 

Through volunteering with us you will: 

· Meet new members of your local community 

· Learn about different cultures 

· Learn about issues relating to refugee and asylum seekers 

· Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team 

· Develop your skills and competencies 

· Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding 

To Apply: 

To apply for this opportunity, download and complete the CARAS volunteer application form from the CARAS website using this volunteer role description to inform your answers.

Successful applicants will have an informal meeting with a member of the CARAS staff team. These meetings will be on a rolling basis so apply ASAP! 

Who are we? 

Survivors Can Shine  is a community interest company working to empower and protect children and young people by providing platforms to celebrate and amplify their voices. Bringing communities together to change perceptions around child abuse and create young Ambassadors for Change.

This year's Ambassadors for Change Community event will be held on Saturday May 25th in celebration of International Family Day. We are bringing together children, young people, local youth services and the wider community in collective strength in a positive movement for change. 

'Ambassadors for Change are positive leaders and role models to their peers and an inspiration to the community'. 

What are we looking for? 

We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers for The Ambassadors for Change Community Event, supported by BBC Children in Need, taking place on the iconic Hampstead Heath on Saturday, May 25th. We’ll need volunteers to help make the day a success by helping manage the crowds, supporting the local community, answering any queries, and just generally representing Survivors Can Shine. 

Why Volunteer with Survivors Can Shine? 

By volunteering for us, you are part of a positive movement for change that is uplifting children and young people through the power of music. You’ll be part of an uplifting event to mark International Family Day, providing our young people with the opportunity to perform the creative pieces they've been working on and have their voices heard by public figures, the wider community & the Mayor of London who will also be in attendance to hand out the Ambassadors for Change Awards.

You will receive a free enhanced DBS check and Volunteer Safeguarding training that’ll be virtual for 2 hours.

There’s a variety of different tasks to get involved with and it’ll look great on your CV!   

Skills needed: 

• Enthusiasm and a willingness to get stuck in 
• Interpersonal skills 
• Punctuality and reliability

What roles do we need?

• Distribute event materials such as leaflets in your local area 
• Stewards to help control crowds 
• Welcoming & signposting attendees and providing information 
• Act as a Charity ambassador by promoting the event among your friends, family and colleagues 
• Security and first aid 
• Set up and pack down of event 
• Selling raffle tickets

Where and when?

The event takes places on Saturday May 25th from 1:30pm – 4:30pm, meaning that we need volunteers from 9am – 5:30pm (there are various slots throughout the day - you don't need to be available for the whole day!)

Hampstead Heath, Parliament Hills Fields, NW5 1QR 

All volunteers will need to be over 18.

Information Officer Role

Description and Person Specification

About Pain Concern

Pain Concern is a charity providing information and support to people with pain and those who care for them, whether family, friends or healthcare professionals. Visit our website to find out more about what we do, including our Airing Pain radio programme, Pain Matters magazine, information helpline, community pain education sessions and our research and campaigning work. All pain is unpleasant, but for the 7.8 million people in the UK living with long-term pain it is a part of everyday life. It diminishes quality of life more than any other condition, leading often to loss of work, depression and disability. Anyone at any age can develop persistent pain and you will very probably know somebody affected. Although there is usually no cure, people who receive the appropriate treatment, information and support can manage their condition effectively with life-changing results.

Role Purpose  

To make sure that information needs within Pain Concern are met, including those of the Media, Editorial, Helpline and Forum. To support other departments with research, data analysis and compiling reports.

What you would be doing:

• Monitor, update and optimize lists of resources for signposting including the Pain Concern Factsheet, the website resources page and embedded website links

• Create and maintain short descriptions about Pain Concern and its activities for use in publications and databases

• Keep up-to-date with developments in pain, from research publications and news media and disseminate this info to rest of organisation, including Media and Policy Teams

• Send relevant information to the Editorial team for inclusion in the magazine notes and elsewhere

• Monitor and supply information needs for Helpline and Forum

• Assist in data analysis, research and report or abstract writing, relating to Helpline and other services

• Maintain database of Pain Concern publications and information produced by Pain Concern

• Manage inboxes for public comment and general information requests

• Maintain the list of those Media Volunteers who are willing to take part in surveys, media interviews etc.

Is this role right for me? We are looking for:

• Strong research skills

• Experience of writing reports and abstracts

• Attention to detail

• Strong communication skills

• Well organised

• Knowledge of databases, indexing, cataloguing, referencing

• Knowledge/Interest of chronic pain and long-term conditions

• Experience of working with corporate identity and house style

• Experience of providing health related information and support to members of the public

• Understanding of websites, Twitter, Facebook, and other forms of electronic communication

Availability and location:

• Minimum commitment of 3 months

• Minimum 2-3 hours per week

• Volunteer from our office at Newcraighall Road, Edinburgh EH15 3HS 

Benefits to you:

• Experience volunteering as part of a friendly team, supported by a professional editor

• Meet new people

• Build on your employability skills

• Training and a dedicated volunteer line manager looking after you

• A job reference after 3 months of volunteering.

• Satisfaction of giving a valuable service to the community

• On-site car parking

• Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with our Volunteer Policy

To apply: Please see our website for further information.

Lead the celebration of Afro-Hebrew culture and foster understanding across diverse communities. As the Community Engagement and Racial Harmony Programme Manager at Barawak, you will orchestrate impactful cultural events and collaborative art projects.
 

Introduction to the Community Engagement and Racial Harmony Programme at Barawak

Love creating a buzz? Are you passionate about shaping vibrant cultural narratives? Does the thought of curating groundbreaking events spark your creativity? The Community Engagement and Racial Harmony Programme at Barawak is where your enthusiasm can come to life. Anchored in our strategic mission to foster economic empowerment and racial harmony, this service line is the heart of our community's vibrancy, designed to both engage and exhilarate. It upholds our objective to establish the Afro-Hebrew community as a powerhouse of high-achieving, inspirational members who contribute significantly to our community.

In line with our vision, we're crafting a new lexicon of Afro-Hebrew cultural celebration — one that embraces the aspirations of our emerging future and resonates with the ambition of our youth. Through electrifying events and artistic collaborations, this programme will shine a light on the richness and diversity of our heritage. Our mission, firmly woven into the fabric of this service line, is to champion innovative ways of community connection that are both enlightening and empowering. We're on a journey to elevate the Afro-Hebrew narrative, positioning our community as a beacon of culture and a touchstone for tomorrow's successes.

The aim for this service line is community engagement with a difference; working to create excitement about and around the Afro Hebrew community; and helping to get across to the rest of the world that the Afro-Hebrew community produces high-quality members of society. This service line will create a new way of celebrating Afro Hebrew culture, one that is fit for aspirations of our future. The Community Engagement and Racial Harmony service line is dedicated to redefining the celebration of our heritage, making it relevant for the world of tomorrow and resonant with the aspirations of our youth. Our mission is to foster a new way of community interaction that is as enlightening as it is uplifting, positioning the Afro-Hebrew community as a source of inspiration and a foundation for future success.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Plan and execute the Community Engagement and Racial Harmony strategy and service line:

• Cultural Events and Dialogue: Lead the creation of a flagship calendar of events designed to elevate the cultural and social quality of the community. This includes organizing a successful annual cultural festival with a diverse range of activities that celebrate and raise awareness of Afro-Hebrew heritage.

• Art and Media Collaborations: Develop and implement a series of collaborative art and media projects that involve community members, fostering racial harmony and showcasing the community's creativity and stories.

2. Measure performance: Keep accurate count of thenumber of cultural events held annually; the number of attendees to cultural events; the community participation rate in art and media projects. Including social media and other statistics; and feedback and satisfaction rates from event attendees and project participants. Provide this data to the Governance Team and Trustees on request.

3. Collaboration with Verticals Teams: 

• Partnership Development & Collaboration Team: Coordinate with this team to identify and establishalliances and partnerships with local, regional and global organisations, businesses, councils, and thegovernment to acquire Community Engagement and Racial Harmony resources, speakers or information.

• Fundraising & Financial Management Team: Collaborate with this team to conduct fundraising activities and financial planning for the Community Engagement and Racial Harmony service line. Identify diverse revenue streams, such as grants, donations, corporate sponsorships, fundraising events for the Community Engagement and Racial Harmony service.

• Volunteer Engagement Team: Work with this team to recruit, train and manage volunteers to support the Community Engagement and Racial Harmony service delivery.

• Marketing Outreach & Advocacy: work with this team to enhance visibility of the Community Engagement and Racial Harmony service across social media, press, and community events. 

4. Governance Team Interaction: Provide regular updates and reports to the Governance, Secretariat & Performance Reporting team. Ensure programmealignment with Barawak policies, procedures, strategyand objectives. Collaborate on monitoring and evaluation efforts to assess Community Engagement and Racial Harmony service impact and effectiveness.

Person Specification:

• Skills: Strong organisational and leadership skills, excellent communication abilities, and adept at working in a collaborative environment. Eagar to learn new skills.

• Attributes: Deep understanding of the challenges faced by the Afro-Hebrew community in the UK. Commitment to Barawak's values of helping out, sticking together, and staying strong. Ability to work flexibly and respond to evolving community needs.

• Commitment: Passionate about making a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and families dealing with poverty. Innovative thinker with a focus on creating sustainable, long-term solutions.

Important: This advert is for a voluntary role, which is unpaid and not subject to reimbursement of expenses. Any agreement with the successful candidate is not intended to be a legally binding contract between us and may be cancelled at any time at the discretion of either party. By applying for the role, candidates agree that neither of us intend any employment relationship to be created either now or at any time in the future.

Why we need your help:

Understanding our local Cornish Communities and hearing from the residents who live here, especially those with lived experiences, is vitally important to ensure that Marie Curie creates, develops and improves services based on what people need and ensure more people have the best experience for in death, dying and bereavement. 

We are looking for community engagement volunteers to work alongside our local team in Cornwall to:

Engage with and bring together people in communities (especially those who are poorly served by end of life care), to understand their experiences.
Support Marie Curie in co -designing and developing new and existing services to support people at the end of life or in their bereavement.
Feel confident in sharing their story and listening to others in an open and sensitive way. 
Engage with local community groups/services to raise awareness of the range of Marie Curie support services (including our national services)
Help us to promote and support initiatives around awareness days including National Day of Reflection and other awareness weeks in your local area.
Identify and connect with local community groups to understand more about what they offer and how we can work together
 

What does the role involve?

Below is an idea of some of the activities that may be involved with this role:

Engage with local citizens to listen to and learn from their experiences of end-of-life care and bereavement support and share what you learn with the local Marie Curie team.
Engage with local organisations to understand their support offer, and to represent the perspectives of people living with, or caring for someone, with a terminal illness, or who have been bereaved.
Attend local community events, to speak with the public about their views and promote Marie Curie services, for example Pride.
Distribute and restock posters, leaflets, and literature. 
Act as the eyes and ears on the ground and feedback to MC 
Support the local team during specific engagement initiatives e.g., completing questionnaires with members of the public and co-facilitating community forums.
Provide a good geographical spread across the relevant local area, spending time in your local community to truly understand the culture and support available.
Available to meet regularly with the Community Engagement Team both online and face to face.
 

What skills and experience are we looking for?

Passionate about improving care and support for terminally ill people and the people around them.
Commitment and reliability
Inclusive and respectful values with the ability to be active within a variety of communities and populations, including those with different beliefs and experiences to your own. 
Able to work as part of the Marie Curie Team, at a local and national level.
Ability to be autonomous within your role, whilst being guided and supported by your Volunteer Manager
Willingness to learn and operate within Marie Curie processes and boundaries.
Patience, empathy, and emotional awareness
Excellent active listening skills and an ability to build a rapport with others.
 

What’s in it for you:

Opportunity to be involved with a national leader in end-of-life care.
Comprehensive training and induction
A supportive and empowering team environment
1:1 Wellbeing Support Sessions
Resilience Based Group Supervision
Access to other volunteering opportunities within Marie Curie
Continuous personal development
Buddying and shadow, sessions where required.
 

Welfare volunteers with experience in social work required to help asylum seekers access basic rights and support 

WOMEN only need apply as we work with women who have escaped violence and trafficking by men.

Join our amazing volunteer team to raise awareness of sight loss and RNIB services at local events. You will give talks in person or virtually, sharing your own story to improve understanding of sight loss to local service providers and community groups. You’ll be making a real difference to people living with sight loss by helping to improve accessibility and inclusivity, creating a world without barriers. What you’ll be doing: • Giving talks to groups of people to raise awareness of sight loss in your local community by sharing your story to audiences, for example, local businesses, community and voluntary groups. • Delivering talks to raise awareness of RNIB services as a trusted source of support for blind and partially sighted people • Representing RNIB as an Ambassador for the Community Connection service What you’ll gain from the role: • An opportunity to give something back. • A chance to build a strong community. • A sense of achievement through the difference you make. • A chance to be part of a team of like-minded people • An opportunity to develop and explore different roles with RNIB, including our internal job vacancies. In return for donating your time we will provide: • A supportive route to building your confidence in presenting and sharing your story with an audience. • A rewarding experience. • A great Induction and training. • A supportive manager. • Regular updates and catchups. • Expenses. • An opportunity to connect with other volunteers.

Join our amazing volunteer team to raise awareness of sight loss and RNIB services at local events. You’ll be making a real difference to people living with sight loss by helping to create a world without barriers. This face to face opportunity will see you providing information about RNIB services and activities to help people with sight loss live the lives they want, enabling them to hear about the support that is available, and how they can help others. 

What you’ll be doing 

• Creating a welcoming and interesting display stand. 

• Speaking directly to people affected by sight loss. 

• Being a friendly face of RNIB locally - engaging with a diverse range of people. 

• Providing information and demonstrations of basic independent living aids for the general public and professionals. 

What you’ll gain from the role:

• An opportunity to give something back. 

• A chance to build a strong community. 

• A sense of achievement through the difference you make.

•  A chance to be part of a team of like-minded people 

• An opportunity to develop and explore different roles with RNIB, including our internal job vacancies. 

In return for donating your time we will provide: 

• A supportive route to building your confidence in meeting members of the public and serving customers. 

• A rewarding experience. 

• A great Induction and training. 

• A supportive manager. 

• Regular updates and catchups. 

• Expenses. 

• An opportunity to connect with other volunteers. 

In applying for / signing up for this role you agree to be contacted when we are seeking volunteers to help with an event in relation to this role description. We will contact you via a communication method for which you have given consent. 

Role: Referral volunteer (laptops)

Team: Casework

Supervised by: Adult caseworker

Location: Tooting office on a Thursday afternoon (2-5pm) for period of training/induction. Remote or in person once induction is complete.

Time commitment: 3 hours a week, we ask that volunteers commit for a minimum of 6 months

About CARAS :

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a registered charity that has been supporting refugees and asylum-seekers since 2002 empowering them to integrate and engage in the local community.

Arriving as an asylum seeker/refugee can be a disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. As an organisation we are committed to work alongside refugees to overcome those challenges, and to help them build their lives.

We offer group support and targeted support work. We offer a range of activities including: ESOL classes; social and recreational activities such as youth club, drama, trips and family activities; educational support for young people; and casework and advocacy support.

Our values are at the centre of all our work:

• Kindness: CARAS will nurture all who are part of our community, helping everyone to develop their skills, talents, and interests

• Justice: CARAS will strive for social justice following a rights-based approach in all our work and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society

• Empowerment: CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes

• ‘With’ not ‘for’: CARAS will put the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do

About the Role:

CARAS offers advocacy casework integrated into all of its projects, ensuring that people who attend our groups can access support to address issues in a friendly and timely manner. A key part of the casework service is to help connect people to resources and activities that they need.

A key areas of need is digital access, either by smart phone or laptop.

People living in asylum accommodation receive £9/week making saving for items impossible.

Whilst many activities have returned to face-to-face delivery many have stayed online, not having a laptop impedes people’s ability to join English classes and social activities. People attending college face difficulties in completing college work without access to computers in the evenings, access to a laptop means people are able to take greater control over their independent learning. Smart phones make a huge difference in people’s ability to have contact with family and community across the world.

To meet this need we have built a partnership with a grant giving organisation, Acts435, to support people to get personal laptops.

We are able to refer 5 people at a time for grants to buy new laptops/phones. Once the grant money is received we purchase the devices for community members to collect.

We are looking for a volunteer to do these referrals each month and support people to purchase and receive their laptops and phones. This is an extremely rewarding role, interacting with lots of the CARAS community members and making a very tangible positive impact on people’s lives.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

- contacting community members who are on our waiting lists by phone to explain the scheme to them

- complete grant applications with community members

- monitoring the grant platform to see when grants have been made

- purchasing laptops online and liaising with community members to arrange collection

- completing monitoring forms with community members once grants are recieved and uploading to grant platform

- recording all referrals and work done on our case management system (lamplight)

Person specification:

Essential

· Confidence in using IT (online forms, online shopping, google maps, email, DocuSign)

· To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse backgrounds;

· A commitment to confidentiality and data protection

· Thorough with good attention to detail

· Reliable

· A high level of spoken and written English

· Excellent communication skills, especially with people who are new to English;

· Ability to gather information from people in a sensitive way

· A calm, friendly, kind and patient approach

· Enjoyment in speaking to new people

· A commitment to working in an empowering way

· Able to maintain boundaries

· Able to work autonomously

· Currently resident in the UK

Desirable

· Experience working with refugees and asylum seekers

· Fluent in one or more of: Pashtu, Farsi, Tigrinya, Somali, Arabic or Dari, Russian, Ukrainian, Albanian, Amharic, Kurdish Sorani, Spanish, French

· Experience of working with interpreters

Benefits to Volunteering:

Through volunteering with us you will:

· Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum;

· Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team;

· Develop your skills and competencies;

· Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding training.

All volunteers must complete a DBS check and attend training with us before starting. You will also receive training and support relevant to your specific role.

To Apply:

To Apply To apply for this opportunity, download and complete the CARAS volunteer application form, using this volunteer role description to inform your answers.

Successful applicants will have an informal meeting with the Adult caseworker, and one with community members, to assess compatibility to the role. These meetings will be on a rolling basis so apply ASAP.