Refugees Volunteer Roles

Online Shop Volunteer Role Profile

Volunteer Role Online Shop Volunteer

Volunteer Manager Shop Manager

Where you will be based Cottingham OxfamShop

Why we want you

Together we can help people facing poverty all over the world – all from right

here, in this very shop. Join our friendly team as an Oxfam Volunteer and you’ll

find yourself at the heart of your community, making amazing things happen.

What Oxfam does

Oxfam is a movement of people from around the world who won’t live with

poverty. We have two key aims:

Responding to emergencies happening in the world now, giving vital

support to people facing poverty due to conflict, climate change and

natural disasters.

Empowering communities to challenge and change systems that promote

inequality, so together we can beat poverty for good.

Oxfam shops have been fundraising to support Oxfam’s work since 1947,

raising millions every year to support people facing poverty.

Young Volunteers

The minimum age to volunteer with Oxfam is 14 years old. If a role is not

suitable for someone under 18 we will happily try to find an alternative role.

Parental consent and safeguarding considerations will be required for those

under 18. You can find out more about safeguarding on our website.

Covid-19

We want to make sure everyone feels safe in our shops. Our shops comply fully

with regulations and we provide PPE.

Let’s beat poverty together.

What you will be doing

Researching donated items to find value them

Preparing items to make the most of our donations

Writing accurate descriptions to go on our website

Taking quality photographs to attract online customers

Packing and posting online orders

Putting your passion to good use by specialising in your favourite areas

The skills you need

Helpful and friendly

Happy to be part of a team

Excited to learn new skills

Basic IT skills

What's in it for you

Some lunch and travel costs

Improve skills and boost your CV

Grow your confidence and meet new people

We can be flexible around your education, family, work, or health etc.

Possible references for future employers

Chance to improve your writing, IT and language skills

Disclaimer

We need one reference and proof of ID for all volunteers and ask you to sign up

to Oxfam's Code of Conduct.

The decision to flee where you are living and come to refuge is a complex and difficult one for women and their children.  It can be a time of increased risk and Solace wants to support women to make this move as quickly and safely as possible.  Volunteers are essential in helping us take calls from women seeking refuge, take referrals and match them up to spaces in our refuges in London.  Where possible, giving the woman choice over available spaces and helping everything happen as smoothly as possible. 

About the Role

In this role, you will speak to women at a critical time in their journey to recovery.  The work is fast paced and sometimes complex.  This is an ideal role for those who have strong organisational skills, resilience, a non-judgmental attitude and can juggle several admin tasks at any one time.  The reward is knowing that you have significantly helped women and her children reach a place of safety and begin her recovery.

Activities in this role will include:

• Taking initial enquiries from women seeking our services and respond effectively in an empathic and empowering way providing in-formation about the service, to enable  women to make informed decisions
• Providing emotional support and offer routes of support to those women whose first language is  from  either of the communities below:

Turkish , Arabic, South Asian Communities including: Hindi, Gujarati, Oromo, Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali African Including the following; Swahili, Yoruba, Somali and Twi

• Providing some basic risk assessment, safety planning and signposting where it is not possible for us to accept a referral and signpost to other services .
• Effective partnership working with professionals to advocate support
• Ensuring the service is inclusive to  meets the needs of all women, including language, culture, disability, sexuality, literacy, and mental health.
• Ensuring that we record and capture data  that is relevant to the individuals needs and which can be used for equality monitoring purposes.
• Providing women who are already in refuge accommodation with some advocacy in their own language.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a volunteer who is:

• Approachable with good interpersonal skills.
• Non-judgemental.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Reliable, flexible with good time management.
• Self-motivated (able to carry out tasks unsupervised).
• Flexibility regarding variety of tasks associated with the role.
• An interest in or understanding of domestic/sexual violence and its impact on women and children.
• Computer literate

What can you gain from this opportunity?

As part of this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Gain experience and understanding the administrative side of running a counselling service
• Expand your understanding of domestic abuse, sexual violence and all forms of VAWG and its effect on women and children.
• Play a pivotal role in delivering services.
• Gain hands on experience in a dynamic charity working in the Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector.
• Work as part of a feminist organisation

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 Tackling and Preventing Domestic Abuse Award (DAPA), which is recognized by the Home Office.

Would you like to have fun in your local area and get reimbursed for your time? We are always looking for caring and compassionate people to take out a local child or young person for fun activities.

Right now we are looking for applicants in the South Wales area for a fabulous young person who enjoys marvel, climbing, cinema, food and chats. They would prefer a male, but we have other young people who would fit well with a female volunteer.

Activities can include things like: playing football in the park, trampolining, cinema, food, swimming, climbing, play centres, beach, cycling, board game cafes, escape rooms, circus, shows, concerts, go karting etc.

We reimburse reasonable expenses, including travel, for you and your young person up to around £40 a month.

Preferred experience:
- Driving and use of a car due to sometimes rural locations. (We are unlikely to be able to find you a suitable match if you do not drive.)
- Ability to communicate in English.
- Basic IT skills for completing reports and submitting receipts via an easy to use App.

Benefits:
- Opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
- Gain valuable experience in supporting children and families.
- Access to online training portal with hundreds of courses. - Access to local authority training.
- All travel and reasonable documented expenses reimbursed.

If you are passionate about helping others and making a positive impact, we would love to hear from you.

Seeking Volunteer Trustees to join in the starting up of a Peace Charity in Manchester, UK.

- This is an unpaid volunteer Trustee position & does not pay expenses. The charity is only just starting, when the charity is more established we can consider paying expenses for volunteer roles, but currently at the present time the role is unpaid with no expenses. If the charity takes off, we can have a board meeting about paying volunteer expenses.

- We need a Board of Trustees before we can apply to the Charities Commission for England & Wales for registration, we intend to register as a Charity in 2025 after we have a solid and diverse Board of Trustees in place.

The founder will be Cindy Baxter, Trustees that join now will be considered co-founders as well as Trustees given they would help to set the Charity up from scratch.

Job Summary
The Trustee plays a pivotal role in the governance and strategic direction of the organisation. This position involves overseeing the management of resources and ensuring that the organisation operates in accordance with its mission and objectives. The Trustee will work collaboratively with other board members to enhance the organisation's impact, engage in fundraising activities, and foster positive relationships within the community.

Duties

• Attend regular board meetings and actively participate in discussions regarding the organisation's strategy and policies.
• Provide oversight on financial management, ensuring that funds are used effectively to achieve organisational goals.
• Engage in fundraising efforts, utilising personal networks and community connections to support financial sustainability.
• Assist in marketing initiatives to promote the organisation's mission and programmes to a wider audience.
• Foster positive public relations by representing the organisation at events and within the community.
• Collaborate with staff to develop programmes that align with organisational objectives and community needs.

ABOUT THE PROPOSED CHARITY:

The International Society for the Promotion of Permanent & Universal Peace (International Peace Society - IPS for short) will be an inclusive and ethical Society created in the UK in Manchester, the 'City of Peace', to further Domestic & International Peace initiatives. Especially to in future, if the Society becomes successful & raises enough funds, employ professionals, in particular, of the Social Sciences - particularly those skilled in Peace & Conflicts, Social Work, Psychology, Community Development, Humanitarian efforts, Domestic & Family Abuse, International aid, International Diplomacy & many others. The Society, if successful, will have other jobs & volunteers also of all types of skills & abilities relevant to the Society's aims as well. The founder of this 2024 Society is Cindy Baxter, a Social Scientist & Registered Social Worker in England with 8 years experience in Safeguarding (Child Protection) across two countries (Australia & the UK), with studies in Psychology, Sociology, History & a Social Work Masters Degree that included a community development course. Cindy has an enormous amount of experience of doing paperwork for Government, experience of working with asylum seeking children, has experience of travelling to other countries & interacting with people from different cultures & Cindy is also a descendent of the Peace Family Line - her Great-Grandfather is Robert J C Peace who was born in Battersea in London in 1921. Cindy will go on to study a PhD in Social Sciences part-time whilst helping to run the Society alongside other founders & trustees. If the Society became successful, & enough funds were raised, an employment call would then go out to locate a suitable Peace President for the Society & other essential staff.

At the moment however the Society is at the very beginning stages where Trustees are needed to help start the Society, help with fundraising & apply to register the charity with the Companies House & the Charities Commission as a Charitable Not-For-Profit Company (Limited by Guarantee) in England in 2025.

There would be two main aspects to the Society:

- Domestic Peace & International Peace

CHARITABLE PURPOSES:

- The advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation or the promotion of religious or racial harmony or equality and diversity

- The advancement of health or the saving of lives (saving lives by preventing wars, ending wars, de-escalating the negative impacts of wars & by domestic & family abuse assistance)

- The prevention or relief of poverty (where it relates to war or domestic/family abuse/exploitation)

- The advancement of education (Peace Education & Social Sciences)

- The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science (The advancement of Social Sciences specifically)

A brief overview - this is not an exhaustive list of everything the Society will aim to do but a general starting point:

The International section of the Society would likely involve forms of overseas aid, focus on diplomacy, encouraging Peace between Nations, spreading messages of peace & peaceful resolution of conflicts, attempts to avert war, especially nuclear war, employing independent Diplomats, etc. Attempting to encourage communities to unite in a spirit of peace, for example by hosting events for the public & the Society's members to attend, such a big peace walks or charity luncheons or charity galas etc. The Society will start in Manchester but if it becomes successful could branch out into other regions of the UK or even into other Countries. The Manchester office where it will start, may in future employ people or enlist volunteers who may work overseas at times as part of their role. The main reason would be to encourage as much as possible conflict/dispute resolution & encourage Nations and differing Nationalities to find diplomatic ways of resolving difficulties in an effort to end wars & prevent new wars/conflict from continuing to occur. Social Scientists, Social Policy graduates and other professionals may also be employed to uncover the deeper reasons behind what is causing specific conflicts/wars in particular regions of the world & give advice on how best to proceed to attempt to end the war/address the underlying problems that are leading to conflict/war.

- support offered to veterans & victims of conflicts/wars including those who are asylum seekers/refugees due to war

- Representing Peace in the North of England

- If the Peace & Justice Project based in London was willing to partner with the IPS we could work in tandem with them, they focus a lot on the Politics of Peace

In terms of Domestic Peace (within the UK) there will be a section of the Society that assists people & families having difficulties with domestic & family abuse or other family problems that are disturbing the peace (e.g. if the Society raised enough funds in future we could hire couple's therapists, domestic abuse specialists or partner with or support local agencies that already specialize in domestic & family abuse)

- support offered to survivors of abuse/neglect/trauma

Other potential aims:

Peace Education, Peace Awareness, Peace initiatives, Humanitarian efforts.

Further aims & purposes of the Society will be discussed in Trustee meetings, we are open to collaborating to discuss the overall aims & purposes of the Charity & how these can be brought into reality. Ultimately we want to have a Charity that helps a lot of people both within the UK & Internationally. This Society is only just starting right now, as such it is not yet registered. The purpose of this advertisement is to recruit Trustees to the Board of Trustees & be able to start the process of having the charity registered once we reach a fundraising goal of £5000.

Seeking to recruit up to a maximum of 11 Volunteer Trustees for the IPS. Applications from people of varied backgrounds, skills & abilities welcomed, including people with disabilities. If you think you have what it takes to be a Trustee for the IPS please apply.

You can access more information about the Trustee role for Charities on the UK Charity Commission website "what is a trustee and how to become one" & "the essential trustee what you need to know what you need to do".

What the IPS needs from you as a Trustee on the Board of Trustees:

- A commitment to act as a volunteer Trustee for the IPS for at least 1 year, however ideally for 3 years or longer

- Time commitment of at least 6 hours per month to join trustee meetings & discussions regarding the founding document & other various administration matters related to setting up a Charity. A virtual option will be provided for meetings for those that wish to work from home.

- Preferred location of Trustees - Greater Manchester - at least 3 of the Trustees need to be based in Greater Manchester or surrounding areas & be able to commute to Manchester Central easily.

However applications from regions outside of Greater Manchester & surrounds will be considered as long as the applicant will commit to either commuting into Greater Manchester for meetings, or commit to joining us virtually. Remote option is available.

You must live in the UK & be legally entitled to volunteer in the UK.

If you are outside of Greater Manchester & surrounds, but live in the UK, please mention this in your CV & indicate whether you are willing to commute into Manchester Central or join regular meetings virtually.

- The IPS values diversity, we encourage applications from persons with diverse backgrounds & with disabilities

- You will need a basic standard of English to apply for this volunteer position

- You must be at least 18 years old to apply for this volunteer position

- Two references required

- Proof of identity & address in the UK

Preferred attributes/values:

- A strong desire to see both domestic & international peace & the motivation & drive to ensure the Charity can start up strong, become a successful charity & become registered

- Integrity, kindness & an ability to work well with others in a team

- Experience in the charity sector, social sciences (including Peace & Conflicts graduates), social care and/or management of a charity/setting up a charity. If you have experience in any or multiple of these areas & are interested please submit an application

Preferred skills/abilities/experience: IPS will need a diverse range of skills & talents on the Board of Trustees. Some skills & abilities we will be seeking are:

- Charity management

- Management of charity finances & fundraising

- Payroll & HR work experience

- IT support for the new website & social media channels

- Business administration

- Experience or vast knowledge of overseas aid, diplomacy and other peace initiatives and efforts (For the International Peace side of the IPS)

- Domestic & family abuse work experience & qualifications (for the Domestic Peace side of the IPS)

- Couples counselling work experience and/or social work dispute resolution & de-escalating conflicts work experience

An applicant who has experience of fundraising & of starting and/or managing a Charity will be highly favoured. Particularly an applicant with experience of International aid & Diplomacy.

If you have skills/talents/abilities which have not been listed above which you believe would contribute beneficially to a role as Trustee for the IPS, in line with the IPS' goals, aims & charitable causes then please describe how your unique skills/abilities/talents will suit a Trustee role for the IPS in your application and this will be considered.

The main criteria is a passion for the cause of peacemaking. If you are passionate about peacemaking and believe you could be a Trustee for the IPS please apply. For those who wish to be a general volunteer for the IPS, another call will go out next year for general volunteers after the Board of Trustees has agreed on the structure of the organisation and completed the founding document.

Please be aware that all applications which proceed onto potential recruitment to Trustee positions with the IPS will be required to undergo DBS checks before being allowed into any Trustee meetings.

Please read the guidance on the UK Government page about who is ineligible to be a Trustee - "Automatic disqualification rules for charity trustees and charity senior positions".

Prospective trustees will be asked to sign a declaration to confirm that they are not disqualified from acting as a charity trustee if successful in the recruitment process.

The likely set up for the Charity will be a Not-For-Profit Charitable Company (limited by Guarantee), this will require registration with the Companies House & The Charities Commission for England & Wales once the charity is able to prove earnings of £5000 or more per year. Please keep this in mind. Trustees will have very limited liability, at maximum £10. Trustees are not expected to contribute money to set the charity up, you do not need to have money to be a Trustee, however having fundraising experience or an ability to talk to others in the general community about the importance of raising money for Peace Initiatives will be essential for at least some of the 11 Trustees that will be recruited. Or have the ability to manage future volunteers (not in Trustee positions, general volunteers) to help them learn or develop the skills to fundraise for the IPS.

Fundraising is an essential part of any Charity & we will need to demonstrate we can raise £5000 annually before we can register our Charity. Applications close on the 15th of January 2025. All applications will be considered as such please do not despair if you haven't heard back before the 15th of January 2025. Interview times will be able to be flexible around the applicants with interviews occuring late January or early February 2025.

You do not need to provide a cover letter alongside CV but if you would like to explain more in your cover letter why this position is for you then you're welcome to provide a cover letter.

This is an exciting opportunity to be both a co-founder & Trustee of the 21st Century version of the International Peace Society!

The 21st Century version of the IPS will be non-denominational and is open to people of all faiths & beliefs including those who are religious and those who are not for example agnostic & athiest. It will be an inclusive society open to all.

Postal Address:

First Floor Swan Buildings 20 Swan Street, City Centre, Manchester M45JU – this is a postal address only. The IPS does not have an office space just yet, this will be a matter that will be discussed during Board Meetings.

Do you have experience in Fundraising? 

Connection Support are seeking a Trustee that will support us in our vision of being a thought-leader in the prevention of homelessness, mental ill-health, and leading innovative services that prevent crises from happening. 

About us

At Connection Support, our team of staff and volunteers work alongside people to overcome life’s challenges.  We do this through our values of empowerment, collaboration, compassion and taking a personalised approach in all aspects of our work. 

We believe in a future where people are free from crisis, and effective prevention is the key. But for times when crises do happen, we’ll be there to help every step of the way. 

About the role

The trustee will support the board, the CEO and wider senior team with advice, guidance and sharing their experiences specifically related to: 

• Supporting the team and wider charity to achieve our fundraising goals. 

• Supporting and encouraging the fundraising team in their work.

• Ensuring that our fundraising activities are in line with organisational values and the Fundraising Code of Conduct. 

• Help develop a fundraising culture across the organisation.

• Share your knowledge and expertise to enhance our fundraising efforts and maximise the effectiveness of our activities. 

This is an exciting time to join Connection Support as we start our new three year strategy. 

Time commitment

The anticipated time commitment for a Trustee is up to a day a month. Approximately 2-3 hours per month in person, and then 2-3 hours of supporting with projects which can be from home. 

Trustee positions are not paid but travel and subsistence expenses are reimbursed.

About you

Our values are extremely important to us, so it is essential that your personal values align with ours, and you are passionate and motivated by the impact you can have by being part of Connection Support. We would also like you to have the following;

• A diverse range of experience in fundraising and charitable income generation at strategic and operational levels, (e.g., instance trusts and foundations, major donors, corporate partnerships, regular donors and legacy giving).

• Knowledge of the fundraising landscape and the challenges facing medium-sized, regional charities in securing funds. 

If you are not sure if this role is for you, we can arrange a no obligation chat with a member of the board or the CEO. 

Previous experience is not necessary as we provide a full induction. We pair new Trustees with an experienced member and offer training opportunities to Board members. 

Interviews

Interviews will be held as suitable people apply, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. We reserve the right to close this advertisement early. 

For further information can be found in our Board of Trustees Recruitment Pack. 

Community researchers wanted to help East London Waterworks Park ensure our community-owned park is inclusive and welcoming for all.

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for community researchers specialised to contribute to our community-led working circle who are working on on a listening project to ensure often underrepresented voices in conservation and environmental projects are heard and centred. 

There is opportunity to lead on projects and facilitate the direction of the working circle.

The Inclusivity Circle currently meets monthly on a Wednesday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

While your experienced research skills are crucial, we also value your ability to engage with the community and build partnerships. Experience in conducting community-based research or working with community organisations is important. A strong understanding of community dynamics and the ability to collaborate effectively will be invaluable in ensuring your research findings are relevant and impactful. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Contribute to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. Your research expertise will be vital in shaping our new biodiverse park. By conducting listening research on community needs, and potential park uses, you'll help us create a sustainable and inclusive space. Your findings will inform our design, programming, and outreach efforts, ensuring the park meets the needs of our community and contributes to biodiversity conservation.

Proxy by IWI Overview
The mission of Proxy by IWI is to provide and encourage an engaged, thoughtful feminist response to mainstream media,
popular culture, legal discord and advocacy.

To be published daily on the web, Proxy by IWI is ambitious, distinctive journalism about the people, ideas, laws and institutions that matter most from a feminist perspective -and beyond. Featuring hard-hitting original reporting as well as smart analysis, provocative argument, and first-person perspectives.

Principal Responsibilities
• Maintain a comprehensive overview of trends and developments on women's human rights globally;
• Must be able to submit a minimum of two (2) articles a month for publication;
• Verify accuracy of facts and obtain supplemental material and additional details from files, reference libraries, and
interviews with knowledgeable sources;
• Organise material and report conforming to specified length, style, and format requirements;
• Interview people in a range of different circumstances as needed;
•Build contacts to maintain a flow of news, for example, police and emergency services, local council, community groups, health trusts, press officers from a variety of organisations, the general public, etc;
• Work closely with the Proxy team to produce concise and accurate copy according to our house style; 
• Research and write feature articles, sometimes for subsidiary publications and supplements;
• Create news content for the Proxy by IWI website.

Requirements
• 4+ years' experience in research and /or reporting;
•Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills, and the ability to work independently and as part of a team;
• Flexibility, initiative, and good problem-solving abilities;
• Multicultural experience and sensitivity to cross-cultural differences;
• Desire to work in a women's human rights environment;
• Strong listening skills;
• Excellent writing ability, including the ability to write in different styles and to other people's direction;
• Good analytical skills to gain an accurate understanding of the subject in question;
• Organisational ability to manage multiple projects, often to tight deadlines;
• Creative approach, both in coming up with ideas for new projects and for getting a message across innovatively; 
• Good attention to detail, including the ability to proof-read your own work;
• Excellent written English skills.
 

Come join our 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.

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.

We often support service users who are transitioning into their own accommodation. Whilst this can be a time of happiness, it can also be a time of worry, with it bringing its own challenges, including physically being able to move their own belongings.

We want to support that transition as best we can, hence us looking for a skilled Volunteer Handyperson, who can help to make this process as smooth as possible.

CORE TASKS: 

We are looking for a Volunteer Handyperson to help support a smooth transition for service users as they move into their new accommodation. Tasks will include:

· Lifting, carrying, and transporting items in a safe manner

· General handyperson tasks such as installing shelving

· General maintenance tasks

· Sharing knowledge of general maintenance with service users to empower them to do it themselves going forward

· Only complete tasks that you able or qualified to complete

· Maintain health and safety at all times

· Showing awareness of service users’ varying physical and mental well-being needs

· To provide feedback and safeguarding concerns to Local Coordinator - reporting any observations or concerns in a timely manner

· To take part in regular supervision and support

To regularly attend volunteer or staff meetings

· To attend training as and when required including health and safety, boundaries, safeguarding, manual handling and confidentiality

· To work within agreed professional boundaries at all times

· To provide a safe and non-judgmental environment that promotes the core values and ethos of the Trust, in accordance with the Medaille Trust Policy, Data Protection Act, and Health and Safety Regulations.

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

The role would suit someone who is friendly, kind, empathetic and non-judgemental. As well as someone who is physically fit to be able to lift and carry heavy objects. This position is rewarding and will be making an immediate difference in supporting and empowering service users.

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

· Volunteers must be at least 18 years old

· Volunteers will need to have a good standard of spoken and written English

· Be computer literate to be able to complete any online training

· Ability to maintain confidentiality is essential

· Volunteers to have knowledge and understanding of human trafficking issues or willingness to learn

· Knowledge of mental health issues and the challenges faced or a willingness to learn

· An understanding of the importance of professional boundaries in the role

· Have own vehicle which is in good condition, with tax, MOT and insurance which covers volunteer usage.

To apply, please complete an application form on our website.

An enhanced DBS check is required for this role, which we will arrange.

Come join our 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.

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.

Wiltshire Moving on Project supports female survivors of modern slavery, trafficking and exploitation. As part of this work, we offer weekly sessions where service users can come together in a safe space to participate in activities and create friendships.

We are looking for a Volunteer Workshop Host to work with staff and other volunteers at the Swindon hub to support service users attending the hub. The Swindon drop in/hub currently runs every Friday and includes social and activity sessions as well as information and signposting.

CORE TASKS:

We are looking for Volunteer Workshop hosts to help support us in our drop in and uplifting group session activities, 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.

· Help to create a varied programme of activities.

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

· To provide feedback to the Local Coordinator, reporting any observations or concerns in a timely manner.

· Making refreshments/drinks.

· Helping to set up and tidy up group space.

· To take part in regular supervision and support.

· To regularly attend volunteer or staff meetings.

· To attend training as and when required.

· To work within agreed professional boundaries at all times

· To provide a safe and non-judgmental environment that promotes the core values and ethos of the Trust, in accordance with the Medaille Trust Policy, Data Protection Act, and Health and Safety Regulations.

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

The role would suit someone who is friendly, kind, empathetic and non-judgemental.  This position is very rewarding and would suit a person who is happy to work as part of a team, in a busy yet relaxed and upbeat environment.   

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 service in line with agreed procedures and systems. 

· Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.

· Experience of arts and crafts

· Happy to support or lead sessions

· Volunteers will need to be computer literate and have a good standard of spoken and written English

· This role requires a regular commitment every fortnight

· Ability to maintain confidentiality is essential

· Volunteers to have knowledge and understanding of human trafficking issues or willingness to learn

· Knowledge of mental health issues and the challenges faced or a willingness to learn

· An understanding of the importance of professional boundaries in the role

· Must be able to get to the group session which is in Swindon Town Centre

This role is restricted for females under the Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 and is subject to ongoing satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service checks.

To apply, please complete an application form on our website.

An enhanced DBS check is required for this role, which we will arrange.