Housing And Homelessness Volunteer Roles

Would you like to make a positive impact on your community and make a real difference to people's lives?

By joining Citizens Advice Enfield as a Trustee you can take an active part in board meetings to assist in setting policy and strategy direction, set targets and evaluate our performance.  You could work on specific projects with other trustees or staff members to further strategic objectives and learn about the range of issues that affect our clients such as benefits, debt, employment and housing.  You would need to attend 5 board meetings per year.

You don't need any specific qualifications or skills as training will be given, but you should have excellent verbal and written communication skills and good IT skills (Microsoft Office suite).  You should be friendly and approachable and be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own.

Housing with Heart

TRUSTEE – READING ALMSHOUSE CHARITY

Expiry Date: Friday 21st February 2025

Job Reference: RACTR

Reading Almshouse Charity (‘RAC’), a CIO, (registered no.1152759) is seeking to recruit primarily a trustee with building or property management experience but applicants with other skill sets are invited to send in an application.

The Charity has a current board of 11 Trustees who use their skills, knowledge and expertise to help the charity fulfil its mission and objectives alongside an operational staff of 4.

RAC has 104 flats (a few of which are bedsits) on three sites and planning permission to build 18 additional flats on land adjoining one of our sites.

RAC’s mission is to ‘provide and maintain affordable accommodation in a community environment on three sites in the Reading and Earley area. Our residents are adults in need who are of good character and are able to live independently.’

RAC is seeking to complement their existing Board with an additional 2 Trustees. Ideally one of whom will have property and building maintenance expertise or be from a housing related background. Other areas of appropriate expertise will also be welcomed.

The Charity outsources cyclical maintenance advice and inspections to an external Building Surveyor. Routine repairs are generally dealt with by the housing managers using one of the charity’s trusted suppliers.

Generally, potential candidates will:

• Assist with formulating and delivering the organisation’s strategic aims
• Be an active member of the Trustee body in exercising its responsibilities and functions. Our board is harmonious and collegial.
• Maintain a collaborative and supportive relationship with the managerial staff
• Fulfil such other duties as may from time to time be required by the Board
• Possess a strong interest in, and commitment to, the vision and values of the organisation, and its future development.

Our Values: 

• We are a friendly face for our residents;
• We listen to our staff and residents;
• We encourage a sense of community spirit and mutual co-operation;
• We take finances seriously to ensure a sustainable future;
• We preserve and build on our legacy;
• We promote courtesy and respect;
• We are committed to inclusion;
• We work with the Greater Reading community;
• We are an excellent employer;
• We maintain integrity in everything we do.

Trustees are encouraged to play a full part in the vibrant life of the organisation. Those already in this role find it extremely fulfilling and are a vital part of the team structure. Trustees should be able to commit to 4 Board meetings per annum and circa 4 Sub-committee meetings (timings to be decided). Meetings are usually held at Penton House, Kennet Island, Reading, and Liberty House, Lower Earley but some Committee meetings are held remotely. Meetings are usually during the working day. Accordingly, living in or knowledge of RAC’s area of benefit will be useful, but not essential.

RAC welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, or other category protected by law. 

To apply for this rewarding voluntary opportunity, please submit your CV and supporting Statement to: Annabel Nicol by email, quoting reference RACTR.

Closing date for applications: 21.02.2025

This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.

About Unify Giving

Unify Giving is a revolutionary platform that empowers individuals to make a direct and meaningful impact on the lives of those experiencing homelessness. By leveraging technology, we aim to create a more transparent, efficient, and compassionate system of giving.

Role:

As a Volunteer Content Creator, you will play a crucial role in shaping our brand story and engaging our audience. Your responsibilities will include:

• Content Creation: Develop engaging content for various platforms (e.g., social media, blog, website) including:
  • Informative articles and blog posts
  • Compelling social media posts
  • Eye-catching videos and reels
• Storytelling: Craft compelling narratives that highlight the impact of Unify Giving and inspire our audience.
• PR and Outreach: Build relationships with media outlets and influencers to increase brand visibility.
• Campaign Development: Assist in developing and executing marketing campaigns to promote the app launch.

Ideal Candidate:

• Passionate about social impact and making a difference
• Strong writing and communication skills
• Experience in content creation and social media management
• Understanding of digital marketing and SEO
• Proficient in video editing and graphic design (preferred)

How to Apply:

Please submit your application, including:

• A brief introduction and your motivation for joining the Unify Giving team.
• A portfolio of your previous work, showcasing your content creation skills.
• A short video introducing yourself and your vision for Unify Giving's content strategy.
• A brief outline of a potential content campaign for the app launch.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Housing for Women is looking for a volunteer with finance and administration experience to support our energetic finance department.  This could be someone studying for their ACCA, AAT, CIMA or ACA qualifications, or someone recently qualified who wants some work experience.  Previous volunteers have gone on to get employment within the charity sector.

We are looking for a volunteer who can commit to volunteering at least two days a week for a minimum of six months.

This is the perfect opportunity for anyone looking to use their finance skills on a regular basis.  If you are looking to gain hands on experience in charity finance in a supportive environment, this is the perfect opportunity for you! We will provide relevant training and help you to identify career development opportunities.

To support the housing staff team with a range of functions in order to ensure the smooth running of the hostel based in Comet Way, Hatfield.

Tasks could include but are not limited to:

·Supporting with the resident’s café by building a rapport with clients and serving teas and coffees

·Assisting clients in ad hoc admin tasks such as booking appointments

·General befriending 

·Identifying resident training needs and signposting as necessary

·Misc. paperwork

·Recording contact on a database

·Escalating any concerns to the line manager 

Skills you will need:

·Be a good listener with the ability to show empathy

·Passionate about working with people from diverse backgrounds

·Willing to work with challenging people and situations

·Good communication skills in English; in person & over the phone

·Reliable, punctual, organised and able to maintain confidentiality

·A willingness to learn new things and get stuck in

·Ability to work as part of a team and attend team meetings

·Working knowledge of local support agencies and IT packages

·Good organisational skills

Full training and an induction will be given as well as ongoing opportunities for your learning and development. We also have an exciting and varied calendar of events for volunteers and staff alike!

Please note you will be required to undergo a DBS check and we will require two references.

We are recruiting a reliable and self-motivated volunteer to support our Communications and Research Manager with a general comms portfolio which would include internal comms, website maintenance and design, and press relations. This role would suit a resourceful and analytical person with good writing skills, a nonjudgemental approach and good customer service skills. If you are looking to make a real change in the lives of women in a supportive and constructive environment, this is the perfect opportunity for you! We will provide relevant training and help you to identify career development opportunities. 

We are recruiting an energetic reliable and self-motivated volunteer to assist with updating and increasing engagement on our social media channels. This role would suit a resourceful and creative person with good writing and editing skills, a non-judgemental approach and good general communication skills, committed to gender equality and supporting vulnerable women. If you are looking to make a real change in the lives of women in a supportive and constructive environment, this is the perfect opportunity for you! We will provide relevant training and help you to identify career development opportunities.

As an Enhanced First Response Volunteer, you and a partner volunteer will look for referrals made by StreetLink, engaging with those sleeping rough and passing on valuable information to the Outreach team. Enhanced First Responders play a crucial role in ensuring those sleeping rough receive vital support from the Outreach Team to move away from the streets and get connected with local services. For more information about the role, please have a look at the volunteer advert on the website.

Gentle Exercises Volunteer in our Live Smart Scheme for over 55s. 

Facilitating a regular Gentle Exercise group to promote the health and wellbeing of residents.  Activities could include armchair aerobics, yoga or walking

LiveSmart schemes provide affordable, comfortable and secure housing for the over-55s.  Our purpose is to enhance the lives of the people we work with.  Volunteers run activities that promote happiness, health, inclusion and independence.

Activites:

Getting to know an interesting and diverse group of older residents in one or more LiveSmart schemes

Listening to residents and planning with them the type of gentle exercise activity they would prefer

Practical considerations:

Volunteers receive a thorough induction and have access to any relevant in-house and external training.

- Volunteers have a named supervisor providing day-to-day support and encouragement.

-Reasonable travel and lunch expenses with be reimbursed

- A DBS check will be required for this role.

Adapting exercises to the different abilities and needs of the group

Promoting the activity to increase the numbers of people participating

Commitment:

Commitment can be flexible to suit your availability, from about 1-2 hours per week. The commitment may increase as more residents become interested in activities, but a maximum should be 4 hours per week. Ideally this volunteer will commit to a minimum of

Amy’s Place is a partnership between the Amy Winehouse Foundation and Clarion Housing, providing supported living accommodation for young women aged 18-30 in recovery from drugs, alcohol and other addictive behaviors.

As a great communicator with ‘green fingers’ you will create a calm, nurturing environment in which to support the residents to gain gardening skills and to explore the possibility of growing their own food. 

Activities

Inspire the residents to take an interest in the outdoor space at Amy’s Place and involve them in the development of a regular gardening and/or food growing club.

Help residents to develop their gardening skills and knowledge specific to growing food, through group workshops and individually tailored support, guidance and encouragement.

Commitment 

This is a flexible opportunity and volunteering times and frequency will vary depending on the volunteer’s availability and the needs of the residents. It might be every week or fortnight ideally for a minimum of 3 months.

Requirements 

This role will require us to carry out an enhanced check through the disclosure and barring service.

Support 

•  Volunteers receive a thorough induction and have access to any relevant in-house and external training
•  Reasonable travel and lunch expenses will be reimbursed
• The role is based at the service in East London. The exact address cannot be given until the volunteer starts due to safety and privacy reasons

Amy’s Place is a partnership between the Amy Winehouse Foundation and Clarion Housing, providing supported living accommodation for young women aged 18-30 in recovery from drugs, alcohol and other addictive behaviors.

With training in alternative therapies such as Reiki and Sound Healing, you will support young women to improve their physical and emotional well-being in a group setting or on an individual basis.

Activities

•  Delivering Sound Healing sessions in a 1-2-1 or group basis.
•  Providing a safe, relaxing, therapeutic environment for the activity to take place.

Experience and requirements:

•  Suitable candidates need to be qualified or nearing the end of a substantial training.
•  Volunteers may be asked to have professional liability insurance.
• This role will require us to carry out an enhanced check through the disclosure and barring service.

Commitment 

Commitment can be flexible to suit your availability, from about 1-2 hours per week. Ideally this volunteer will commit to a minimum of 3 months

Support 

•  Volunteers receive a thorough induction and have access to any relevant in-house and external training
•  Reasonable travel and lunch expenses will be reimbursed
• The role is based at the service in East London. The exact address cannot be given until the volunteer starts due to safety and privacy reasons

Amy’s Place is a partnership between the Amy Winehouse Foundation and Clarion Housing, providing supported living accommodation for young women aged 18-30 in recovery from drugs, alcohol and other addictive behaviors.

An enthusiastic, reliable and compassionate volunteer with good interpersonal skills and a desire to help others. The volunteer must be a fully qualified Dietitian or Nutritional Therapist and have training and/or experience working with individuals with eating disorders.

Activities

• Supporting the nutritional needs of young women with health issues on a limited budget.
• Providing support with meal planning, cooking skills, food safety, and day-to-day problem solving around food and eating.
• Providing wisdom and accurate nutrition education around healthy eating for the individual.

Qualifications/ Experience

• Must be a fully qualified Dietitian or Nutritional Therapist.
• As many of the residents have eating disorders it is essential for the volunteer to have training and/or clinical experience working with individuals with eating disorders.
• Must have professional liability insurance and be a member of a professional body ie. HCPC, BANT
• This role requires us to carry out a check through the Disclosure and Barring Service for the Enhanced DBS

Commitment 

This is a flexible opportunity and volunteering times and frequency will vary depending on the volunteer’s availability and the needs of the residents. We recommend weekly one-to-one sessions for a minimum of 3 months.

Support 

•  Volunteers receive a thorough induction and have access to any relevant in-house and external training
•  Reasonable travel and lunch expenses will be reimbursed
• The role is based at the service in East London. The exact address cannot be given until the volunteer starts due to safety and privacy reasons.

Amy’s Place is a partnership between the Amy Winehouse Foundation and Clarion Housing, providing supported living accommodation for young women aged 18-30 in recovery from drugs, alcohol and other addictive behaviors.

An enthusiastic, reliable and compassionate volunteer with good interpersonal skills and a desire to help others. The volunteer needs to hold a professional level diploma in counselling and have training and experience working with individuals with eating disorders.

Activities

• To provide therapeutic support to young women (aged 18-30) with eating disorders
• One-to-One counselling sessions will aim to support the individual to improve self-confidence, identify and resolve negative thought processes, implement constructive coping strategies and empower them to fulfil attainable life goals
• To develop and promote a positive relationship with the women within allocated caseload
• To keep up-to-date with development in the field of counselling and eating disorder therapy
• To manage appropriate professional boundaries in the relationship
• To maintain records for monitoring, evaluation and tracking purposes plus service evaluation
• To take responsibility for own professional development

Requirements

• Hold a professional level diploma in counselling
• Hold professional membership with BACP, UKCP or equivalent
• Have own regular supervision with a qualified supervisor
• Fully trained in eating disorder therapy and previous experience supporting individuals with eating disorders
• This role requires us to carry out a check through the Disclosure and Barring Service for the Enhanced DBS

Commitment 

This is a flexible opportunity and volunteering times and frequency will vary depending on the volunteer’s availability and the needs of the residents. Ideally weekly one-to-one sessions for a minimum of 3 months.

Support 

•  Volunteers receive a thorough induction and have access to any relevant in-house and external training
•  Reasonable travel and lunch expenses will be reimbursed
• The role is based at the service in East London. The exact address cannot be given until the volunteer starts due to safety and privacy reasons.

It’s fantastic that you’d like to find out more about volunteering at St Mungo’s. We are looking for short-term volunteers to help us find new ways of supporting our clients on a 1-2-1 basis and developing their independent living skills to move on away from homelessness. You will also be working with specific clients on building their confidence, looking after their health and wellbeing, managing their budget and own accommodation (e.g. tenancy agreement obligations and rights). 

In this role, you will be supporting with all or some of the following tasks:

• Reaching out to clients living in some of our services and supporting them develop important life skills so they move on to an independent life away from homelessness. • Working with specific clients on building their confidence, looking after their health and wellbeing, managing their budget and own accommodation (e.g. tenancy agreement obligations and rights). • Exploring local learning services and community groups, supporting these clients to get involved and creating resources to empower them to continue their involvement. • Meeting with progression coaches and project workers to record and review move on progress and actions. • Adhering to St Mungo’s Policies and Procedures at all time.

Please see all locations and the time commitments we are currently recruiting for in this role:

• Bristol or Brighton- Monday-Friday, between 9am-5pm, 2 half days per week (plus briefing/debrief time with supervisor) *Please note this role is for approx. 3 months (until April 2025)

Do I need to have any specific skills?

• Good literacy and numeracy skills. • Effective communication skills, both verbal and written. • Reliable IT skills and experience in online searches and completing online forms. • A friendly personality, good interpersonal skills with enthusiasm and motivation. • An understanding of the causes of homelessness and its impact. • Genuine interest in and commitment to St Mungo’s work and client group. • An understanding of and commitment to diversity & equality.