Social Care/Development Volunteer Roles

Do you enjoy reading books and sharing stories?  

We are looking for a friendly volunteer to spend time and read newspapers or books to a gentleman we support with cerebral palsy and learning disabilities.  *N* loves being read to and the company this brings.  He will really enjoy having a cup of tea with a new friend.      
  
If you would like to make a difference and make a great friend along the way, we would love to hear from you!     

 
Activities will include:  

• Reading Books and Newspapers to a gentleman we support.  *N* communicates without words but loves listening to others.

• Enjoying a cup of tea together 

• Being there for company and friendship  

 
Activities will NOT include: Personal care, medication or financial assistance.  

We are looking for someone who is:  

• Friendly, caring and enthusiastic.  

• Comfortable reading out loud and spending time with people with learning disabilities and autism.  

• Reliable/dependable and willing to commit to volunteer regularly (exact times/days can be discussed)    

  A DBS check and two-character references will be required for this role.     

What you’ll gain from being a Dimensions volunteer:    

Dimensions provides support for around 3,500 people with learning disabilities and autism across the UK.      

Our volunteers play a vital role in our work and in return, we support them with:        

• Access to free online training (with access to 800 plus courses)    

• Comprehensive support from professional and friendly Dimensions staff    

• Reasonable expenses may be reimbursed at manager’s discretion     

• An opportunity to gain real experience in the social care sector    

Want to apply for this role?    

If you’d like to be a Dimensions volunteer, please get in touch!     

Do you enjoy meeting new people and have free time on Monday evenings?    
 
We are looking for a friendly volunteer to accompany a gentleman we support to attend his Monday evening social club and escort him home at 10.00pm.  The club is fortnightly, and the venue is a 5-minute walk away from his home in Kidderminster.

If you would like to make a difference and make a great friend along the way, we would love to hear from you!    

Activities will include:  

• Sharing your time on Monday evenings (fortnightly) and joining a gentleman we support to attend his evening social club.  This includes help with purchasing a drink and retain a receipt.

• Escorting him home at 10.00pm.  The gentleman is a wheelchair user although self-propels most of the time 

• Being there for company, friendship and fun  

Activities will NOT include Personal care, or medication support.     

We are looking for volunteers who are:    

• Friendly and enthusiastic 

• Comfortable with pushing a wheelchair when needed 

• Comfortable chatting with people with learning disabilities and autism.  

• Reliable and willing to commit to volunteer once a fortnight (on Monday evenings)  

A DBS check and two-character references will be required for this role.     

What you’ll gain from being a Dimensions volunteer:    

Dimensions provides support for around 3,500 people with learning disabilities and autism across the UK.    

Our volunteers play a vital role in our work and in return, we support them with:    

• Access to free online training (with access to 800 plus courses)    

• Comprehensive support from professional and friendly Dimensions staff    

• Reasonable expenses may be reimbursed at manager’s discretion     

• An opportunity to gain real experience in the social care sector    

Want to apply for this role?    
 
If you’d like to be a Dimensions volunteer, please get in touch!   

Do you live in Wales and want to gain valuable skills, have new experiences, and support vulnerable people?

We are offering 1 young person aged 18-25 the opportunity to volunteer for up to 11 months with the French Red Cross in Lille. The programme will run from September 2024 – August 2025.

You will be working on a range of projects, which will give you the chance to explore the different kinds of social action that the French Red Cross undertake in Lille. This is a great opportunity to get involved in these projects and find out what you are interested in. For more details on the role and the projects available, have a look at the role description. The main thing we want to see is your motivation for this placement!

The French Red Cross operates a project called “Mobile support programme for migrants” (DMSE) along the shores of northern France. This programme aims to “go towards” migrants and provide them support directly in the makeshift camps. The project offers three main services: access to care, maintaining and restoring family links and supporting unaccompanied children. The successful volunteer will likely spend 2 days a week in the field supporting migrants, 1 day in the office providing administrative and logistical support and 1 day will be dedicated to their individual Element project, a chance for the volunteer to develop their own project or cultural exchange activity. The remaining day will be treated flexibly and could see the successful volunteer supporting the French Red Cross on their other projects such as helping the FRC in launching first aid training for migrants.

Please note that only young people based in Wales can apply for this role. We are especially interested in applications from those who are from low socio-economic backgrounds, are carers or are care experienced, have accessed free school meals, are refugees or asylum seekers and those with disabilities or additional needs.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 1 May 2024.

Successful applicants will ideally satisfy any one of the following criteria:

• Low household income (under £26,000).
• Are carers/have experience in the care system.
• Have accessed free school meals.
• Are a refugee.
• Are currently seeking asylum.
• Are disabled or have additional needs.

Do you live in Wales and want to gain valuable skills, have new experiences, and support vulnerable people?

We are offering 1 young people aged 18-25 the opportunity to volunteer for up to 11 months with the Swedish Red Cross in Stockholm. The programme will run from September 2024 – August 2025.

You will be working on a range of projects, which will give you the chance to explore the different kinds of social action that the Swedish Red Cross undertake in Stockholm. This is a great opportunity to get involved in these projects and find out what you are interested in. For more details on the role and the projects available, have a look at the role description. The main thing we want to see is your motivation for this placement!

The Swedish Red Cross Youth is excited to welcome two volunteers in collaboration with British Red Cross this fall. This opportunity offers volunteers the chance to contribute to the vital work of the Swedish Red Cross Youth in addressing the needs of youth in socio-economically vulnerable areas and strengthening the capacity of our volunteers nationwide and will also offer you an opportunity to volunteer in our breakfast clubs, homework help groups, support chats, tutoring sessions and other member meetings. The placement is in central Stockholm, at the Swedish Red Cross HQ. As a Volunteer in this programme, you will play a crucial role in supporting the activities coordinated by the Red Cross Youth, gaining valuable experience in community development, crisis management, and international collaboration. Your efforts will contribute to creating positive forums for young people in Sweden to network and foster a sense of community and empowerment.

Please note that only young people based in Wales can apply for this role. We are especially interested in applications from those who are from low socio-economic backgrounds, are carers or are care experienced, have accessed free school meals, are refugees or asylum seekers and those with disabilities or additional needs.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 1 May 2024.

Interviews will take place online with shortlisted candidates.

Successful applicants will ideally satisfy any one of the following criteria:

• Low household income (under £26,000).
• Are carers/have experience in the care system.
• Have accessed free school meals.
• Are a refugee.
• Are currently seeking asylum.
• Are disabled or have additional needs.

We are looking for Qualified volunteers to join our Complementary Therapy team and donate their time and professional skills as a therapist to support our hospice patients. This role will make a huge difference to the lives of those requiring end-of-life care.

Your role will include some of, but is not restricted to, the following tasks:

• Provide a rounded approach to patients and their families to ensure the highest quality of care is given
• Be aware of patients’ diagnosis, treatment and care before giving complementary therapies 
• Able to adapt a therapy, when required
• Keep to the code of ethics and practice laid down by the governing body of the therapy and to Marie Curie’s policy for complementary therapists
• Continue your professional development to refine or learn new skills
• Attend any relevant or training sessions held by the Day Care Unit or Hospice

At our hospices, we aim to provide the best possible service to those requiring end of life care.  We are looking for a qualified hairdresser or barber to pamper our patients, giving them time and attention and making a difference to their lives. our role will include some of, but is not restricted to, the following tasks:

• Provide a hairdressing service to patients at the hospice 
• Consult staff about which patients would like to use the service 
• Chat to patients 
• Keep the hairdressing room clean and tidy 
• Let staff know about any issues concerning patients’ well-being
• Help with other related tasks when necessary 

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;

Vice Chair

We have an exciting opportunity for a Vice Chair who is passionate about young people and who is willing to give their time and experience to support this organisation in enabling young people to reach their potential.

Position: Vice Chair

Location: Nottingham

Hours: Board meetings, circa 2 hours each month

Salary: Unremunerated although travel and expenditure can be reimbursed.

About the Role

The organisation is recruiting a Vice Chair who can support our transformation journey, we have an ambitious and exciting growth plan, which will provide us with long-term sustainability. During the next three years, it is essential that we build on the existing skills of our Board of Trustees, expanding these to ensure we have sound governance and oversight of new opportunities, which will include a significant partnership and facility development project. We are interested in recruiting trustees who are passionate about young people and who are willing to give their time, and experience to support the organisation in enabling young people to reach their potential and with time to oversee the organisation, develop strategy, and ensure sound governance. We aim to attract trustees from different ethnicities, genders, and experiences to reflect the communities we work with.

As Vice Chair, you will grasp the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead with vision and energy, applying your expertise to make a visible and lasting difference to the organisation. This will mean overseeing the organisation, and strategic developments and ensuring sound governance.

You will need to commit to attendance at Board meetings, currently every three months and an additional sub-group meeting, such as finance or marketing each quarter. There may be other demands on your time, especially during this coming year as we transition into a new facility, but these should not exceed on average 2 hours each month. Experience in the sector is not essential as training will be provided and you will be supported with a thorough induction to the responsibilities of a trustee and the organisation.

Specific duties for all charity trustees which are laid down by Charity Law are:

a. A duty of care, to ensure that the charity works in pursuance only of its objects and that it delivers on these.

b. A duty of compliance with all relevant legislation and regulation; and

c. A duty of prudence in respect of the charity’s assets.

ii. The organisation’s Articles of Association set out the composition of the Board of Trustees, how the Trustees are appointed and their powers.

Purpose

1.1. The Board of Trustees is ultimately responsible for the overall conduct of the organisation and all its projects and will conduct its business to ensure that the organisation is:

· financially viable;

· properly governed; and

· properly managed.

1.2. The Board of Trustees will monitor the performance of all its functions and will decide the level of resources to meet its financial and other obligations.

How to apply

If you are interested in joining the Board of Trustees, please apply in writing stating your interest, skills and experience and any particular areas you are interested in.

About the Organisation

The organisation was established in 1993 as a charity supporting young people living in the city and county of Nottingham. The overarching aim of the organisation is to provide support to young people taking a holistic approach to their health and well-being; this is provided through easy access to health, counselling, housing, and learning opportunities while providing a safe place to meet, take part in activities and use practical services such affordable meals, laundry, and showers.

Currently, the primary work of the organisation is delivered through the NGY MyPlace centre in Nottingham, bringing together a multi-disciplinary team enabling the needs of young people to be met in one place. Until 2012, the organisation operated from Glasshouse Street and in 2008 became part of the successful Nottingham bid for Myplace funding under the Government’s commitment to provide youth centres for young people. This bid brought 4.9 million into Nottingham, purchased a building and funded the refurbishment, transforming a grade2 listed Georgian townhouse into a multi-purpose centre, named NGY, run by the organisation and bringing together partners in the centre.

You may have experience in areas such as CFO, NED, Non-Exec Director, Non-Executive Director Fundraiser, Trustee, Fundraising Trustee, Fundraising Manager, Community Engagement Trustee, Community Engagement etc.

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

We are looking for individuals with professional or lived experience of working with children. Our volunteer playworkers are passionate about play and providing a welcoming and safe space for all children.

About the Role

As a volunteer play worker, you will work in partnership with the Specialist Family Support Worker in the planning and delivery of play sessions. Most children will be between the ages of 2-5 years.

Play sessions will be child-centered and age-appropriate, and will include arts and crafts, sensory play and free play with toys/resources in the refuge. Working with the Specialist Family Support Worker, you will be able to respond to the individual needs of the children and adapt sessions as needed. You will record your observations on each child at the end of the session and reflect on how the sessions went with Specialist Family Support Worker.

You will be supported by the Specialist Family Support Worker in monthly supervisions. This is a space to discuss your volunteering role, what is going well for you and areas of support you need.

We are looking for volunteers to support one session per week, either:

• Wednesday 10am – 1pm (Islington)
• Friday 12pm – 3pm (Enfield)  

You will be expected to participate in setting up and in the evaluation of the session. You may also be asked your availability to attend additional sessions and trips to be held over school half terms.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking volunteers who have:

• Professional and/or lived experience of working with children
• Understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on children and young people
• A strengths-focused approach to working with challenging behaviour
• Knowledge of Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Procedures, or who are willing to learn
• Commitment to attend Safeguarding, Health and Safety, and Equality and Diversity training with Solace Women’s Aid
• Ability to communicate effectively with children aged 0-5, parents and staff
• Basic knowledge of child development
• Organisation and time management skills

Although not essential, we would welcome applications from volunteers who have a formal qualification in working with children, young people and families, or who have knowledge of trauma-informed approaches to working with children and young people.

What can you gain from this opportunity?

Volunteers will gain:

• Experience of facilitating play sessions for children in recovery from domestic abuse
• An insight into the experiences of children in recovery from domestic abuse.
• Experience in working in partnership with Specialist Family Support Workers in the planning, delivery and evaluation of play sessions in a refuge/community setting.
• Opportunity to attend training and social events with other Solace Women’s Aid volunteers.
• Trauma-Informed Practice training from the Specialist Family Support Worker team.
• Being part of a supportive team who aim to build on the strengths and skills of all our members.

We offer great volunteer induction training, where you will be fully supported to understand, and carry put every aspect of the role. Training includes CPD accredited courses, and the opportunity to apply to complete the level 3 Understanding Domestic Abuse Award (DAPA), which is recognized by the Home Office.

Men Who Talk is a UK registered charity, running twice monthly online peer-to-peer support groups for men aged 18+ across the UK. The groups take places between 7:00 - 8:30pm during week nights.

Our groups are supportive spaces for men aged 18+ to come and talk openly about what's on their mind. All groups are free to attend and follow the evidence based model of peer support. 

Volunteers are required to be online from 6:45pm to 8:45pm, and are required to facilitate around 1 group per month. Volunteers are asked to commit to an a minimum of 6 months of volunteering in the initial stage. 

All groups are facilitated by 2 facilitators, and follow a semi-structured pattern.

We are looking for passionate men with some experience of groups facilitating or working in mental health settings to come join us as facilitators. Experience in using online platforms such as zoom is essential. 

A degree in psychology is preferred but not an essential requirement.

Why Join MWT? 

Men Who Talk is an exciting, fast growing charity, creating new spaces for men to talk openly about what's on their mind. 

We have a diverse team full of talented and passionate individuals who are committed to changing the face of mens mental health across the UK. 

As well as the opportunity to join the organisation at an exciting stage of it's development, volunteers also have the opportunity to develop their own skills and have regular chances to feed into the creative and strategic development of the organisation. 

PLEASE NOTE: We are only able to accept applications from individuals who already have the right to live and work in the UK. 

Could you help prevent loneliness and isolation for people living with BPD and become a befriender?

• Do you have 1-2 hours a week to give to a service user suffering from BPD and feeling isolated or lonely?
• Can you offer support, through a listening ear and be a positive influence in a service users life to help build self-esteem and confidence?
• Will you enable our service users to benefit from knowing someone is there to listen, be a friend, and check in on their wellbeing?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then we would love to hear from you!

Key responsibilities

Your role will include, but is not restricted to the following tasks:

• Carry out weekly checks with the service users you are supporting, this may be over the telephone or via Teams.
• Engage the service user and help empower them
• Help service users to rediscover social skills and confidence by building up and maintaining a close relationship
• Keep accurate records of calls and sessions
• Report any concerns to the Volunteer Coordinator

Skills required

No qualifications or volunteering experience is required, but the following skills are essential:

• Be aged over 18
• Must have lived in UK for 2+ years
• A non-judgemental approach
• Good listening and communication skills
• Empathetic and compassionate
• Reliable and trustworthy
• Respect confidentiality
• Be able to work on own initiative
• Ability to build effective working relationships with service users
• A DBS check and 2 references are required for this role

What we offer

• a comprehensive induction program
• training on safeguarding, confidentiality, health and safety and other training relevant to the role
• ongoing support and supervision
• the chance to meet other volunteers and take part in volunteer events
• reimbursement of pre-agreed expenses

As a Volunteer cook you will work with others in the kitchen to help prepare good quality lunches for our older members. Our lunch clubs are social occasions where you will enjoy the conversations and laughs, and soon become part of our family, and of course eat with us.

You will help to plan the menus and you’ll get feedback from the older members about what they would like to eat at future activities.

Along with other volunteers you will prepare food, keep the kitchen clean and to the hygiene and health and safety standards and tidy away afterwards.

Do you enjoy meeting new people and chatting?

Do you have an hour to spare weekly, chatting to an Older Person on the Telephone?

Are you happy to provide two referees and complete a DBS check, ( free of charge)?

If so, we would love to hear from you?

Methodist Homes (MHA) is seeking Volunteer Telephone Befrienders to support our members and residents in various locations nationwide.

Through specialist care homes, thriving retirement living and vibrant community groups and befriending, we inspire the best care and wellbeing at every stage of later life.

With 80 years experience, we put people at the heart of everything we do in all our homes, schemes and community services across Britain.

The ideal individual will have an understanding of the needs of Older People, be kind and compassionate and enjoy the company of Older People.

What training and support will be provided:

• We will provide you with a full induction for the role
• Training on safeguarding, health and safety and other training and updating of skills and knowledge relevant to the role as appropriate
• Ongoing support from a named contact
• Dementia Friends online course-(if you wish)
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (as needed)

Times and Commitment

· We ask that you make a minimum of 4-6 months commitment to this role

· We ask you to be able to commit on a regular basis, to be agreed with your named contact

We will guide you through an application which takes 2-3 weeks. You will have a dedicated Recruiter, who will meet you on a video call.

As a Volunteer cook you will work with others in the kitchen to help prepare a light breakfast for our older members. Our clubs are social occasions where you will enjoy the conversations and laughs, and soon become part of our family, and of course eat with us.  You will help to plan the menus and you’ll get feedback from the older members about what they would like to eat at future activities.

Along with other volunteers you will prepare food, keep the kitchen clean and to the hygiene and health and safety standards and tidy away afterwards.