Vocational/Services Volunteer Roles

We are partnering with the Social Interest Group (‘SIG’) to appoint new Trustees to join their board.  SIG brings charities together to work under one umbrella focusing on delivering good quality social and health care services.  They support people who are in the criminal justice system, stepping down from hospital recovering from mental ill health and those moving away from periods of homelessness, recovering from substance and alcohol issues.

Their Mission is to create powerful partnerships and solutions that bridge the gaps in local health and social care so people can live happy, healthy, productive and fulfilled lives.

SIG (the parent company), their subsidiaries SIG Penrose, SIG Housing Trust, SIG Equinox, SIG Pathways to Independence and SIG Safe Ground, work to tackle social and health care inequalities and fill gaps in service provision in order to ensure that people in our society have every opportunity to live fulfilled, healthy and constructive lives.

Through their values they are committed to:

• Delivering excellence and innovation
• Promoting equality and mutual respect
• A belief that positive change is possible
• Involving and consulting service users
• Active citizenship and community involvement
• Valuing staff, harnessing their full potential

They are keen to have an inclusive board, therefore backgrounds and experience is less important as the need for the passion, ambition and interest to help SIG fulfil its mission is the primary requirement. 

As mentioned, your background is less important but if you are in IT, Public Relations & Marketing, Operations, (maybe you have or are a COO) engaged in the medical profession with an emphasis on mental health, a service user or carer is of interest to the current board.

The successful candidates will demonstrate:

• A clear commitment to the mission and values of the Group
• The capacity to participate actively and from an informed position.
• A willingness to use personal networks and resources of relevance to their charitable purpose.
• A passion for their work, and to promoting SIG and its subsidiaries as an organisation.
• A firm understanding and respect for the Nolan Principles of Public Life

Meetings are held in the evening at their head office in the Angel/Highbury & Islington area or virtually; there are 4 meetings plus one ‘away day’ each year. The total time commitment is in the region of eight hours per month.

For more information, please contact Sandra Smith, Associate Director, Charisma Charity Recruitment. Applications should be submitted through the Charisma website and include your CV and supporting statement.

We 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, veteran status, or other category protected by law.

Closing date for applications: 6 May 2024

Interviews: TBC

About the Role

We are looking for a Volunteer to assist in the running of our new Wednesday Evening Service programme of activities at Headway East London. The Evening Service is a new opportunity for people living with brain injury in the East London area to join our community. 

Volunteering with us, you’ll get involved in the fun and creative activities going on at our Evening Service. Every week is different: you could help in our art studio, assist in the kitchen or take part in a music session. You’ll be supporting our members one-to-one and in groups. You don’t need any special skills or knowledge, we’ll give you the induction you need, and support is always on hand, with regular volunteer meetings, training sessions and supervision.

Main Duties

• To help Headway staff manage the activity programme for each member by offering one-to-one support or in small groups.
• To assist members with specific activities that prove challenging for them i.e., using computers, cooking, engaging in art activities.
• To initiate discussion, games or activities and encourage members to take part.
• To help floor staff around dinner time (food preps. setting up tables, dishing out and serving food).
• To assist with keeping the Headway centre safe, clean, and tidy all times by taking on tasks such as collecting and washing cups, tidying up resources' shelves, wiping tables before lunch etc…
• To inform floor staff about activities undertaken with members and any significant changes in mood or behaviour. To take members to social events and outings and being able to assist individuals needing to use a wheelchair.
• To undergo training as required and attend volunteer debriefs and supervision. To undertake any other duties that may reasonably be required.

Person Specification

• Aged 18 or over.
• Experience working with people clear and sensitive communication.
• Ability to relate well to people on a one-to-one basis and be sympathetic to others’ situations.
• Willing to participate in a variety of activities appropriate for our members.
• Prepared to lead an activity with a small group of members.
• Committed to the values, vision, and objectives of Headway East London.
• Committed to equal opportunity and able to maintain confidentiality.

Commitment

The role requires a minimum commitment of at least 4 months, every Wednesday from 3.30pm to 8.30pm. Volunteers need to sign a volunteer agreement and confidentiality form.

Training/Support

Each volunteer is given an induction which includes information on health & safety, fire precautions, confidentiality, equal opportunities, and a brief outline of the long-term effects of head injury.

As part of this role, you will receive ongoing support and you will have the opportunity to gain experience in Health and Social Care.

• To fully support our volunteers in their role we provide: regular volunteer meetings.
• Training sessions delivered by our specialist staff a regular debrief session.
• One to one supervision starting after the first 4 months and yearly appraisal meetings.

About the Role

We are looking for a Volunteer to assist in the running of the daily programme of activities at Headway East London. The Day Service is a new opportunity for people living with brain injury in the East London area to join our community. 

Volunteering with us, you’ll get involved in the fun and creative activities going on at our Day Service. Every week is different: you could help in our art studio, assist in the kitchen or take part in a music session. You’ll be supporting our members one-to-one and in groups. You don’t need any special skills or knowledge, we’ll give you the induction you need, and support is always on hand, with regular volunteer meetings, training sessions and supervision.

Main Duties

• To help Headway staff manage the activity programme for each member by offering one-to-one support or in small groups.
• To assist members with specific activities that prove challenging for them i.e., using computers, cooking, engaging in art activities.
• To initiate discussion, games or activities and encourage members to take part.
• To help floor staff around lunch time (food preps. setting up tables, dishing out and serving food).
• To assist with keeping the Headway centre safe, clean, and tidy all times by taking on tasks such as collecting and washing cups, tidying up resources' shelves, wiping tables before lunch etc…
• To inform floor staff about activities undertaken with members and any significant changes in mood or behaviour. To take members to social events and outings and being able to assist individuals needing to use a wheelchair.
• To undergo training as required and attend volunteer debriefs and supervision. To undertake any other duties that may reasonably be required.

Person Specification

• Aged 18 or over.
• Experience working with people clear and sensitive communication.
• Ability to relate well to people on a one-to-one basis and be sympathetic to others’ situations.
• Willing to participate in a variety of activities appropriate for our members.
• Prepared to lead an activity with a small group of members.
• Committed to the values, vision, and objectives of Headway East London.
• Committed to equal opportunity and able to maintain confidentiality.

Commitment

The role requires a minimum commitment of at least 4 months,anyday from Monday to Friday between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Volunteers need to sign a volunteer agreement and confidentiality form.

Training/Support

Each volunteer is given an induction which includes information on health & safety, fire precautions, confidentiality, equal opportunities, and a brief outline of the long-term effects of head injury.

As part of this role, you will receive ongoing support and you will have the opportunity to gain experience in Health and Social Care.

• To fully support our volunteers in their role we provide: regular volunteer meetings.
• Training sessions delivered by our specialist staff a regular debrief session.
• One to one supervision starting after the first 4 months and yearly appraisal meetings.

Volunteer - Homeline befriending project

 Homeline is a befriending project for older people based in Hammersmith and Fulham.

If you have an hour or two to spare each week and befriend an isolated person in their own home we would love to hear from you.

You could provide companionship or accompanying someone outdoors to assist them to remain independent in the community and help them avoid becoming housebound.

Join our friendly team and enjoy the benefits of full role training, DBS and continued support.

The Men in Sheds Project: Is a project specifically for men aged 50+. It provides a well equipped workshop space where men can work together on a range of practical activities. We currently have ‘sheds’ in Blidworth, Nottingham, Daybrook and Worksop. The project aims to:

- encourage men to be more socially active

- give members an outlet for their skills and the opportunity to learn new skills

- provide a break amongst friends for older men who are carers

- give retired men the opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the local community

- provide access to information and other local services Members are encouraged to take ownership of their ’shed’.

What impact does this role have? This role helps combat social isolation for men over the age of 50.

What activities might you be involved in?

• To unlock the shed and get it ready for use, heating, check for unsafe items of machines etc.

• Supervising workshop sessions, alongside another volunteer.

• Collect or oversee the payment of subscriptions, ensure that members book in on the attendance register

• Assist members if needed with projects, lifting etc.

• Agree with members in advance on the price of projects that members make

• Take payment for items when finished, issue a receipt and record the sale

• Encourage work that could be done to members, orders, seasonal items etc.

• Meet and greet visitors, ensure they comply with all safety requirements and to sign in

• Meet and greet potential new members, show them around the shed and briefly describe the aims and function of the shed. Arrange a meeting with a shed leader for induction if interested. Ensure they comply with all safety requirements and to sign in

• (With one other Volunteer or member) Count and record subscriptions & tea fund at the end of the day and put away in the safe 

• You will be supported by a staff member from the Men in Sheds Team 

• To check that everything is switched off, the ‘Red Button’ is pressed and to lock up at the end of the day

• Reporting any concerns to the Shed leader

What are we looking for?

➢ Friendly personality and approachable manner

➢ Ability to use own initiative to work alone, or as part of a team

➢ Understanding of the workshop environment and/ or working with power tools

➢ Appreciation of the need to follow health and safety guidelines

o Ensure members follow the shed’s General Safety Rules

o Ensure that all members work in a safe manner

o Ensure machines are not used inappropriately

o Ensure members wear the correct PPE equipment as per the H&S notices,

o To wear PPE equipment yourself, if you don’t use PPE and injure yourself, you could be negligent, the shed will not accept any responsibility for your injury. This should also be pointed out to members

o Ensure there is no smoking in the shed, only in the outside designated smoking area

o Stop other members from carrying out unsafe practices or report it to a Shed Leader immediately

o Actively contribute to keeping the shed clean and tidy

➢ Expected levels of conduct include:

o Treat members and fellow volunteers in a friendly and supportive approachable manner

o Not use rude, offensive, threatening or abusive behaviour, language or gestures

o If anybody is deemed under the influence they will be asked to leave the shed and not to return until sober

o Report any incidents or breach of any of the above to the Shed Leader in confidence

o Report any complaints about the project / charity in line with Age UK Notts’ Compliments and Complaints procedure

➢ Be able to cover a session either weekly or to provide cover on an ‘as needed’ basis.

Ability to work sensitively and confidentially with men from a variety of backgrounds.

➢ Willingness to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check. 

We are looking for volunteers who can regularly commit to at least one session per week.

• The Daybrook Shed: Open Monday – Thursday, 9.00am – 12.00pm and 12.30pm - 3:30pm, and we are looking for volunteers on all days but particularly on a Thursday.
• The Worksop Shed: Open Monday - Wednesday: 9am - 2pm and we are looking for volunteers on all days.
• The Blidworth Shed: Open Tuesday 9am - 2pm & Thursday 9am - 1pm and will soon be opening on a Wednesday (9am until 2pm), and we are looking for volunteers on a Wednesday and a Thursday.

Days to be agreed with the shed.

Please note that this volunteer role is aimed at the older male population who attends the shed and applicants must have been a member of the shed for at least 3 months.

***Please note that we don’t offer sponsorship or accept overseas applicants***

Would you relish the opportunity to use your skills and experience to improve the lives of one million older people in financial hardship?

Independent Age is looking for enthusiastic and skilled individuals to join our Board of Trustees. If you’re passionate about our cause and want to help shape the future of our Charity, we’d love to hear from you.

Across the UK, more than 3 million older people are living with limited financial means and experiencing inequalities. At Independent Age, we believe that no older person should face financial hardship. That’s why, by 2027, the charity’s goal is to have improved the lives of one million older people. Through our policy, campaigning, information and advice and grant-making we improve lives by increasing the financial well-being of older people in financial hardship, enabling greater choice and independence.

We are seeking to appoint new Trustees to our Board. Board members serve on at least one of our Committees, which oversee our finance, risk, governance, services, and policy work. We estimate the time commitment for trustees to be around one day per month on average. 

We are particularly looking for skills and experience in one or more of the following:

• Fundraising strategy and performance
• Service delivery and performance 
• Grant-making strategy and evaluation
• Impact measurement 
• Investments (experience of social/impact investing would be a bonus)

If you have the passion to support our cause and strengths in any of these areas, we would love to hear from you.

For more information about Independent Age and the role of our trustees, please see the Candidate Pack below. To apply for this role, please visit our website. The application process will require the following:

• An up-to-date CV
• A supporting statement (no more than 2 pages) that outlines what attracted you to Independent Age’s mission (detailed in the Candidate Pack) and how your skills and experience relate to the role of Trustee.
• A completed diversity monitoring form (optional - link included below).

We actively encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. 

Come join our volunteering team working to help change the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society. Ranked 2023 Q4 by Best Companies as the 8th best charity to work for in the UK, Medaille Trust is one of the UK’s leading charities in the fight against modern slavery. Our innovative model is based on three principles: Prevent, Protect and Pursue.  We are one of the UK’s largest providers of survivor services, with ten safehouses and six outreach hubs, staffed round the clock by specialist staff, working with more than 600 men, women and dependent children each year.  We work to raise awareness in the UK and to provide preventive work in source countries. Our Pursue work helps survivors to engage with police and within the legal system to seek justice and to secure convictions against their perpetrators.

We are looking for a Volunteer to help support us with gardening and working alongside service users to support them with all things gardening related, tasks will include:

•Trimming hedges and bushes, weeding and watering plants and general allotment maintenance.

•Planting and sharing knowledge of plant, flower and food cultivation with service users.

•Helping to keep the allotment tidy.

•Offering a safe and comfortable experience for all service users, showing awareness of service users’ varying physical and mental well-being needs.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a wide range of experience and motivations. Whatever your reason for deciding to volunteer, we want to make sure you enjoy your time with us and know just how much we value your support.

This role requires maturity, and an ability to engage with female adults in a trauma informed way, while working alongside staff members to deliver the activities in line with agreed procedures and systems.

Volunteers need to:

•Be at least 18 years old

•Be able to get to the venue which is based in Southampton

•Be able to commitment regularly

•Have experience or qualifications in gardening, cultivation, harvesting of plants

•Have a good standard of spoken and written English

•Be willing to have an enhanced DBS check

•Have knowledge and understanding of human trafficking issues or willingness to learn

•Have knowledge and understanding of mental health conditions or willingness to learn

•Have an understanding of the importance of professional boundaries in the role

•Have the ability to maintain confidentiality

For full details and how to apply please visit our website and complete an application form.

Come join our volunteering team working to help change the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society. Ranked 2023 Q4 by Best Companies as the 8th best charity to work for in the UK, Medaille Trust is one of the UK’s leading charities in the fight against modern slavery. Our innovative model is based on three principles: Prevent, Protect and Pursue.  We are one of the UK’s largest providers of survivor services, with ten safehouses and six outreach hubs, staffed round the clock by specialist staff, working with more than 600 men, women and dependent children each year.  We work to raise awareness in the UK and to provide preventive work in source countries. Our Pursue work helps survivors to engage with police and within the legal system to seek justice and to secure convictions against their perpetrators.

We are looking for someone who can help with general maintenance of our safe house – tasks will include:

•General handyperson and maintenance tasks such as installing shelving.

•Lifting and carrying items in a safe manner.

•Sharing knowledge of general maintenance with service users to empower them to do things themselves going forward.

•Maintaining health and safety at all times.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a wide range of experience and motivations. Whatever your reason for deciding to volunteer, we want to make sure you enjoy your time with us and know just how much we value your support.

This role requires maturity, and an ability to engage with female adults in a trauma informed way, while working alongside staff members to deliver the activities in line with agreed procedures and systems.

Volunteers need to:

•Be at least 18 years old

•Be able to get to the venue which is based in Southampton

•Be able to commitment every fortnight

•Be computer literate and have a good standard of spoken and written English

•Be willing to have an enhanced DBS check

•Have knowledge and understanding of human trafficking issues or willingness to learn

•Have knowledge and understanding of mental health conditions or willingness to learn

•Have an understanding of the importance of professional boundaries in the role

•Have the ability to maintain confidentiality

For full details and how to apply please visit our website and complete an application form.

Come join our volunteering team working to help change the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society. Ranked 2023 Q4 by Best Companies as the 8th best charity to work for in the UK, Medaille Trust is one of the UK’s leading charities in the fight against modern slavery. Our innovative model is based on three principles: Prevent, Protect and Pursue.  We are one of the UK’s largest providers of survivor services, with ten safehouses and six outreach hubs, staffed round the clock by specialist staff, working with more than 600 men, women and dependent children each year.  We work to raise awareness in the UK and to provide preventive work in source countries. Our Pursue work helps survivors to engage with police and within the legal system to seek justice and to secure convictions against their perpetrators.

We are looking for Volunteers to help support us with coordinating and delivering sewing activities, tasks will include:

•Organising and delivering activities for service user participation.

•Consulting service users to gain their feedback about what activities they would like to participate in.

•The safe use and teaching of sewing machines, making patterns and sewn items by hand sewn and machine.

•Helping service users to engage within a group setting, helping with any activity sessions that take place on or off the premises.

•Offering a safe and comfortable experience for all service users, showing awareness of service users’ varying physical and mental well-being needs.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a wide range of experience and motivations. Whatever your reason for deciding to volunteer, we want to make sure you enjoy your time with us and know just how much we value your support.

This role requires maturity, and an ability to engage with female adults in a trauma informed way, while working alongside staff members to deliver the activities in line with agreed procedures and systems.

Volunteers need to:

•Be at least 18 years old

•Be female as this role is restricted for females under the Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010

•Be able to get to the venue which is based in Southampton

•Be able to commitment every fortnight

•Have knowledge and experience of sewing

•Be computer literate and have a good standard of spoken and written English

•Be willing to have an enhanced DBS check

•Have knowledge and understanding of human trafficking issues or willingness to learn

•Have knowledge and understanding of mental health conditions or willingness to learn

•Have an understanding of the importance of professional boundaries in the role

•Have the ability to maintain confidentiality

For full details and how to apply please visit our website and complete an application form.

Come join our volunteering team to help change the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society. Ranked 2023 Q3 by Best Companies as the 6th best charity to work for in the UK, Medaille Trust is one of the UK’s leading charities in the fight against modern slavery. Our innovative model is based on three principles: Prevent, Protect and Pursue.  We are one of the UK’s largest providers of survivor services, with ten safehouses and six outreach hubs, staffed round the clock by specialist staff, working with more than 600 men, women and dependent children each year.  We work to raise awareness in the UK and to provide preventive work in source countries. Our Pursue work helps survivors to engage with police and within the legal  system to seek justice and to secure convictions against their perpetrators.

We know that wellbeing is hugely important for our service users therefore, we are looking for volunteers who can deliver ad-hoc sessions in wellbeing such as yoga, pilates, meditation, facials, arts & crafts etc. This would suit someone who wants to gain volunteer experience in this sector but is unable to commit to something on a more regular basis.

Tasks will include:

•Delivering wellbeing activities for service user participation.

•Helping service users to engage within a group setting.

•To offer a safe and comfortable experience for all service users, showing awareness of service users’ varying physical and mental well-being needs.

You must have relevant qualifications and experience in activities that you will be delivering, such as yoga, facials etc.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a wide range of experience and motivations. Whatever your reason for deciding to volunteer, we want to make sure you enjoy your time with us and know just how much we value your support.

This role requires maturity, and an ability to engage with female adults in a trauma informed way, while working alongside staff members to deliver the activities in line with agreed procedures and systems.

Volunteers need to:

•Be at least 18 years old

•Be female as this role is restricted for females under the Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010

•Be able to get to the venue which is based in Hillingdon.

•Be computer literate and have a good standard of spoken and written English

•Be willing to have an enhanced DBS check

•Have knowledge and understanding of human trafficking issues or willingness to learn

•Have knowledge and understanding of mental health conditions or willingness to learn

•Have an understanding of the importance of professional boundaries in the role

•Have the ability to maintain confidentiality

For full details and how to apply please visit our website and complete an application form.

Come join our volunteering team to help change the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society. Ranked 2023 Q3 by Best Companies as the 6th best charity to work for in the UK, Medaille Trust is one of the UK’s leading charities in the fight against modern slavery. Our innovative model is based on three principles: Prevent, Protect and Pursue.  We are one of the UK’s largest providers of survivor services, with ten safehouses and six outreach hubs, staffed round the clock by specialist staff, working with more than 600 men, women and dependent children each year.  We work to raise awareness in the UK and to provide preventive work in source countries. Our Pursue work helps survivors to engage with police and within the legal  system to seek justice and to secure convictions against their perpetrators.

We are looking for an Activities Volunteer to help deliver recreational activities to our service users, tasks will include:

•Welcoming visitors and service users to the hub, helping them sign in, directing them to the hub space, helping service users to engage within a group setting, helping with any activity sessions that take place on or off the premises.

     •Physical sporting activities such as football, cricket, rugby, group cycling etc.

     •Playing board games, creative – arts, music, photography.

     •Consulting clients to gain their feedback about what sessions they would like to participate in.

      •Helping clients to engage within a group setting.

You will offer a safe and comfortable experience for all clients, showing awareness of clients varying physical and mental well-being needs.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a wide range of experience and motivations. Whatever your reason for deciding to volunteer, we want to make sure you enjoy your time with us and know just how much we value your support.

This role requires maturity, and an ability to engage with male adults in a trauma informed way, while working alongside staff members to deliver the service in line with agreed procedures and systems.

Volunteers need to:

•Be at least 18 years old

•Be able to get to the venue based in Manchester

•Be able to commit to every fortnight

•Be computer literate and have a good standard of spoken and written English

•Be willing to have an enhanced DBS check

•Have knowledge and understanding of human trafficking issues or willingness to learn

•Have knowledge of mental health issues and the challenges faced or a willingness to learn

•Have an understanding of the importance of professional boundaries in the role

To apply please visit our website and complete an application form.

Befriending Volunteer

You can make a difference…Age UK Wandsworth is a small, local, independent charity that has been working with older people in the area since 1963. We rely on your support to keep serving the older residents with in the Wamdsworth community. We have a dedicated team of experienced staff and a large network of dedicated local volunteers. Our aim is to enable everyone to age well in Wandsworth. We would love your help to be able to continue to support older Wandsworth residents.

Our Be-a-Friend service is one of our longest running services, matching people over 65, who live alone and have limited social contact, with a friendly local volunteer with similar hobbies and interests. The volunteer and their new friend set up a suitable time for them to meet each week for a chat and a cup of tea, which could be during the day, in the evening on the way home from work or even on the weekends . If you would prefer to volunteer from home, you can also be matched with an older person for telephone befriending. For many of our matched pairs, this is the beginning of a firm friendship. 

Befriending Plus

Befriending Plus is an extended version of the Be-a-Friend programme, for individulas needing help with life admin and small tasks as well as companionship. For Befriending Plus pairs, time spent together can include helping to use a phone or tablet, helping the client to organise their file, going out for a coffee or popping to the post office together. This support can help older people to stay independent at home for longer, as well as increasing their confidence to do these tasks when the volunteer is not there.

We are looking for trainee volunteer advisers to join our advice team to support people across Ashford, Kent

You will be trained to give advice to clients across channels including face-to-face and telephone.

Volunteers make up around 75% of our workforce. We would not be able to provide such a vital free advice service without them.

What will you do?

• complete an introduction to Ashford Borough Citizens Advice and training for your role

• talk to clients over the phone, face to face, or online to explore what problems they've come for help with

• find information about the clients' problems and help them to understand their options

• support clients to take action to resolve their problems. This might include drafting or writing letters, making phone calls, or referring the client to another organisation

• write a summary of the clients' problems and what action you've taken

• look out for problems' that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor

What's in it for you?

• make a real difference to people's lives

• learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt, employment and housing.

• build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and problem solving

• work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.

• have a positive impact in your community. And we'll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You don't need specific qualifications or skills but you'll need to:

• be friendly and approachable • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own

• have good listening skills

• have excellent verbal and written communication skills

• have good maths and IT skills • be able to understand information and explain it to others

• be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection

• be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

Ideally we ask for you to be available for 2 advice sessionsw per week, for at least 12 months.

We can be flexible so come and talk to us.

About CARAS: 

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a charity that supports refugees and people seeking asylum who live in south London. We offer a range of individual and group support to improve the holistic well-being of people who have a background of forced migration, providing them with tools to build lives filled with value, meaning and purpose in the UK. Our activities for young people currently include ESOL classes (English for Speakers of Other Languages), study groups, youth clubs, sports trips and football.

Volunteering With CARAS – Our Community of Welcome

CARAS has a proud history of volunteers helping us deliver our charitable aims. Volunteers are an essential part of the CARAS community, bringing skills, insights, experience, different languages, and enthusiasm to the roles.

Community members tell us that welcome by volunteers is so important in an often hostile world. It helps them feel safe and wanted. Community is at the heart of all we do, and we could not deliver the projects we do without the enormous contribution volunteers bring. Thank you for taking the time to consider volunteering with us.

About Sports Programme:

We work in partnership with Fulham Kicks to run a football session every Monday evening. We provide 1:1 sports advice to help build confidence and remove barriers by supporting young people to plan their journeys and accompanying them to join their first sessions. We find new activities and memberships for young people at youth clubs, gyms and other sports providers. We arrange frequent trips to offer sports to our young people including boxing, yoga, trampolining and hopefully go-karting.

To advance and continue this work we have an exciting new element to the project. The research project will detail: (1) the accessibility barriers faced by young people, (2) methods of best practice for including young refugees and asylum seekers, (3) funding and support options available from local authorities, and (4) what participatory 1:1 support looks like for young people.

About the role: 

As a Sports research volunteer, you will work with four young people hired as peer researchers to co-design and deliver a research project to sports providers, local authorities, support networks and other young people. The aim here is to help to remove barriers that young refugees and asylum seekers face in accessing the sports they enjoy. You can do this remotely, researching sports providers and finding sessions for our young people to attend. You will also take part in in-person workshops looking at young refugees and asylum seekers’ experiences in accessing sports in London. You will work with the young people to design questionnaires and deliver the results to local authorities and sports providers. You may need to help young people to travel safely around London and to feel welcome in the city. We would love you to join in with activities where possible and if you would like to.

We ask for a commitment of at least 2-3 hours per month in your own time, and to attend workshops over the Summer for the research project.

Tasks and responsibilities: 

· To attend research workshops and assist staff in facilitating them.

· To support young people in their co-design of the project

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

· To participate in research in an independent, open-minded and fair way.

· To encourage and inspire young people to reach their full potential.

· To assist young people to both recognise and celebrate their achievements.

· To challenge young people’s negative attitudes and behaviour in an appropriate manner.

· To adhere to CARAS Child Protection procedures, Confidentiality Policy, Health & Safety policy, Equal Opportunities policy and all other policies as relevant.

Requirements: 

To be 18 years or older;

· To have access to your own IT device and to be comfortable using Google Search and Microsoft Office.

· To be able to work both from home and at CARAS

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

· To be reliable and punctual;

· Excellent communication skills, especially with people with varying levels of English;

· Current resident of the UK;

· Able to provide five years’ worth of addresses, and willing to undergo a DBS check;

· Able to attend compulsory volunteer induction training (online) general and safeguarding prior to the start of the role:

Volunteer induction training currently takes place online once a month on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings from 6 pm – 8 pm. we offer the same training on Tuesday and Wednesday daytimes online between 12 noon – 2 pm once every 3 months.

Your availability to attend 1 general and 1 safeguarding online training session at these times within 3 months of your application would be a prerequisite for being accepted as a volunteer at CARAS.

Desirable: 

· Knowledge of community languages, such as (including Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Somali and Spanish).

· Some experience in designing/ using questionnaires and surveys to inform services or activities

· To be confident in advocating for young people and explaining their life experiences to local authorities and sports providers.

Through volunteering with us you will:

· Meet new members of your local community;

· Learn about different cultures;

· 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;