Volunteering Wandsworth E-News
November 2013 Edition
Make a difference this festive season
Good evening, if you have some spare time in the lead up to the festive season, we have many opportunities for you to make a real difference. At this time of year, many charities really need volunteers to help out.
- The Eve Appeal needs volunteers to donate their time to fundraise on 4 December at Liverpool Street Station and on 5 December at Bank Underground Station. Choose a time slot between 7am-7pm, for either one or both of the days. These are busy and popular locations, so the perfect place to raise funds for gynaecological cancers and sprinkle a little joy into the public's day.
- Enthusiastic singers are needed to join Epilepsy Action for carol singing and fundraising at Trafalgar Square on 15 December from 4:15 - 6:00pm in aid of people with epilepsy and their carers.
- The Salvation Army is holding a Christmas Meal in Wandsworth on Friday 20 December for people who are vulnerable, lonely, homeless or suffering from addictions. They are looking for volunteers to help with preparing and serving food and distributing hampers to help make this a special day for all who attend.
- Crisis at Christmas offers vital companionship, hot meals and warmth, and a wide range of essential services between 23 and 30 December that homeless people often miss out on. Join 8000 volunteers to offer a wide range of services for guests. It's not too late for qualified Volunteer Advisors, Translators, Hairdressers, Massagers and Podiatrists to volunteer, so if you have these skills, get in touch!
- The Battersea Park Rotary Club's Christmas Day Party is so popular, they now cater for over 400 elderly guests and need volunteers like yourself to help with the party. On Christmas Eve, volunteers are needed in the morning to set up and make sure all is ready for the great day ahead. On Christmas Day, 44 buses are sent to pick up guests, many of whom will be in wheelchairs. Volunteer Bus Escorts are needed from 9:00am to help escort elderly people from their home safely into the bus. Escorts are also required to take guests home again in the evening at approximately 4.30pm. General volunteers are also needed to help prepare and serve food and drink and make sure all guests have a good time. You will get to enjoy Christmas Dinner for free too!
Volunteering Wandsworth comes to you
To find out about our current volunteering opportunities and how you can get involved, come along and speak to the Volunteering Wandsworth team at an outreach session near you, We travel to different locations around the borough so our sessions are local and accessible.
Come along to an upcoming session and find an opportunity to suit you:
| 2 December | Putney Library | 2pm - 4pm |
| 18 December | Wandsworth Town Library | 4pm - 6pm |
Click here for further information about upcoming events.
Featured opportunity: Volunteer Playworker, Spurgeons
Spurgeons is seeking a Volunteer Playworker to work alongside staff and assist with running the programme of children's activities.
You will
have the ability to positively engage with children and young people aged 5 to 13 years old and actively participate in the play process, encouraging imaginative play. As well as being part of a team to welcome children and families, you will help set up the play setting and tidy it away.
Click here to find out more about this opportunity and apply.
Featured organisation: SpaceMax
Founded in 2011, SpaceMax is small community-led initiative devoted to tackling overcrowding in social housing through innovative solutions. Working in Wandsworth, their volunteers include architects, designers, carpenters and craftspeople that work collaboratively to maximise space in cramped living conditions, for example by decluttering, creating
specialised furniture from recycled timber, and building wall partitions. Their primary aim is to improve quality of life for those living in inadequate and/or overcrowded housing by aiding and equipping people in such conditions to maximise their space, through the distribution of skills, tools, materials and relationships.
Volunteer with Spacemax and meet a family, put up some recycled shelving, declutter a space and improve furniture arrangements. DIY experience would be especially useful in the role of Project Volunteer.
As they gradually attracting more funding from donors, they also need an experienced Book Keeper to keep the accounts in order.
Click here for more information about the Project Volunteer role
Click here for more information about the Book Keeper role
Learn new skills in Marketing and PR
Volunteering is a great way to try something new. Our featured skilled volunteering opportunity is in marketing so if you are looking to develop your skills in marketing, media, and public relations then this could be the opportunity for you. An exciting new opportunity has arisen to join the Marketing and PR team for Housebound Learners to raise the profile of the charity. This volunteering opportunity can give you the experience you are looking for and help you find suitable employment in the future.
Tasks you will undertake range from
raising the charity's profile through press releases to provide marketing communications support by developing a range of publicity materials. This role is ideal for someone with background in these areas who is looking to build upon their experience and support a valuable charitable cause. Your contribution will be crucial in raising the public profile of Housebound Learners, so apply now!
My Volunteering Experience - Sejal's Story
Sejal Patel volunteers at the Wandsworth Carers Centre as a mental health project support worker. Here is what Sejal had to say about her volunteering experience...
"I'm inspired to volunteer because volunteers have helped me in the past so I wanted to give something back and get out and about in the community. For one morning a week I am gaining new skills which could help my job prospects. In my current volunteering role at the Wandsworth Carers Centre I am inputting data, sending out invites and letters and I am also getting involved in
supporting events. I'm developing my listening skills and learning how to work with vulnerable adults. The best thing about my experience is getting out and meeting people and having a talk with service users on the phone.
I found out about the Volunteering Wandsworth service at last year's Volunteering Fair and they helped me into my current role with Wandsworth Carers Centre. I decided to come along to the fair this year to see what other voluntary opportunities I could get involved with as well. Previously I have volunteered with the Children's Voluntary Centre and for Comic Relief; I really enjoy volunteering and would recommend it to everyone... Get
involved!"
Latest Volunteering Opportunities
Here are our top three latest volunteering opportunities, just click on the links to find out more.
Volunteer Job Coach Assistant, SHARE Community
Share community is seeking a volunteer to support the Job Coach every Thursday morning for three months, to provide training and support to adults with learning difficulties, disabilities or mental health problems to develop their employability skills and help them secure work placements. achieve success.
Systems Analyst/Programmer, Fresh Start Housing
Fresh Start Housing is looking for a long-term volunteer to update and maintain the MS Access 2010 database and undertake a small amount of database administration. Training will be provided to enable the volunteer to be the charity's sole IT resource every Wednesday. The ideal volunteer will have some programming experience, knowledge of MS Access 2010, relevant SQL and relevant Windows Programming.
Befrienders, National Autistic Society
The National Autistic Society (NAS) need volunteer befrienders to provide social support to people on the autistic spectrum for a few hours a week, either at home or out and about. By giving some of your time for at least a year, you could really open up someone's world and support their integration into society.
Your Feedback
We'd love to hear from you! If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions for this newsletter, please get in touch with the Volunteering Wandsworth team.
Contact Volunteering Wandsworth
We are open 10:00am - 4:00pm, Monday - Friday (excluding public holidays).
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Volunteering Wandsworth is provided on behalf of Wandsworth Council by Groundwork London.