Textiles Group Volunteer

The Creative Arts and Skills Programme (CASP) is a wide-ranging range of classes and groups focused on providing development opportunities for our clients as well as supporting their improved integration into the community. It is a creative outlet, a community, and an opportunity for clients to learn new skills.

The textiles group runs weekly and provides an opportunity for our clients to learn useful new skills and meet new people. This volunteer will work together with the existing group volunteer to teach dressmaking skills to our clients and support them to work on various textiles projects.

Main tasks and activities

·        Working together with our current Textiles group volunteer to teach dressmaking and upcycling skills to clients;

·        Supporting clients to develop and carry out their own textiles projects;

·        Coordinating the clients and taking the register on a weekly basis;

·        Setting up and packing away the sewing machines, fabrics and other equipment before and after the session;

·        Raising any issues which the clients face with the Community and Integration Manager

·        Skills and experience needed

·        Understanding of, and commitment to, the objectives of the Helen Bamber Foundation;

·        A demonstrable empathy for our vulnerable clients, including asylum seekers, refugees and survivors of torture and trafficking;

·        Dressmaking skills essential;

·        Experience of teaching or instructing people in dressmaking skills (desirable);

·        Awareness of confidentiality and the importance of it in regards to our clients;

·        Punctual, reliable and self-motivated with a positive, ’can-do’ attitude;

·        Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to create a warm and welcoming community environment;

·        Demonstrable experience of working within a team.

What you will get out of the role

·        A strong understanding of how HBF’s integration programmes contribute to the well-being of our clients;

·        An appreciation of the processes and systems that asylum seekers and refugees deal with in the UK;

·        Increased experience and confidence in teaching dressmaking and textiles skills;

·        Increased teamwork skills;

·        An ability to multi-task between competing priorities.