Volunteering

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Trustee Chat returns for Month of Community

April 29, 2022by Libby Mahoney in Blog, SCVO News tagged , ,

June 2022 is Month of Community, 30 days full of campaigns and awareness weeks to inspire people.

Volunteers Week happens on 1-7 June and Small Charity Week on 20-24 June. So SCVO have teamed up with colleagues from Dudley CVS to host Trustee Chat on Wednesday 8 June 2022, 2-4pm.

Trustee Chat is an informal session for people to learn more about charity trustees and their role, share their experiences and get support.

The agenda will be open. Participants can ask questions, share their experiences and get support with anything to do with being a charity trustee, whatever their current level of experience is. Staff from Dudley CVS and SCVO will be on hand to share their knowledge and offer encouragement and guidance to help run your charity.

The session is particularly aimed at anyone in Sandwell or Dudley boroughs who:

  • Is interested in learning more about being a charity trustee before they become one
  • Is a new trustee
  • Has experience of being a charity trustee that they’d like to share or would like to improve their knowledge
  • Would like to find out about organisations in their areas that might be looking for charity trustees
  • Represent a charity that has trustee vacancies

This virtual session will be held on Zoom. Please register your place here to ensure that you are sent joining instructions by clicking here.

Call Out For Sports Volunteers

March 21, 2022by Stuart Ashmore in SCVO News tagged

Does your Sports Club rely on a little extra help? Whether it’s minding the goal post jumpers or giving expert tips on tumbling, volunteers are the lifeblood of many community sports clubs.

At the end of April we’re planning a Sports Volunteer Showcase and we’d love to hear about your side-line superheroes.

We’ll dedicate our Let’s Go Sandwell social media to stories about sports volunteers, as well as highlighting any vacancies you may have on our volunteering web site www.letsgosandwell.info

To find out more and get involved email kim@scvo.info

Options For Life: seeks Chair to join Board of Trustees

January 28, 2022by Libby Mahoney in Blog, Vacancies tagged ,

Options for Life is a not for profit voluntary organisation. They provide opportunities for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism to improve their confidence, develop their skills and live as independently as possible enjoying the same rights and opportunities as everybody else. Options for Life  are passionate in their support for participants to make their own choices about their own lives.

Based in Oldbury in the West Midlands Options for Life work with participants across the West Midlands, we have an annual turnover of £1.6million and employ over 60 staff. As a leading learning disability organisation, they want to recruit new Trustees with a breadth of skills and talent to help them with their ongoing growth and continual improvement.

Options for Life are particularly keen to recruit a diverse board of trustees and welcome applications from all sectors of the community with lots of different experiences. Previous Trustee experience is not essential.

As a minimum the Chair of the Board of Trustees is required to:

  • The Chair will hold the Board and Executive Team to account for the Charity’s mission and vision, providing inclusive leadership to the Board of Trustees, ensuring that each trustee fulfils their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of the charity.
  • They will act as an ambassador and the public face of the charity in partnership with the Chief Executive and will foster an open and transparent working relationship with the Executive Team.
  • Provide leadership to the charity, the Executive team, and its Board, ensuring that the Charity has maximum impact for its beneficiaries.
  • Ensure that the Board fulfils its duties to ensure sound financial health of the charity, with systems in place to ensure financial accountability.
  • Ensure that the governance arrangements are clearly defined and working in the most effective way for the Charity.
  • Chair meetings of the Board of Trustees effectively and efficiently, bringing impartiality and objectivity to the decision making process.
  • Establish and build a strong, effective and a constructive working relationship with the Chief Executive, ensuring they are held to account for achieving agreed strategic objectives.

Options for Life are committed to inducting their Trustees and supporting them in their ongoing development. It is a requirement they will expect all new Trustees to go on the Understanding Governance stage 1 course if not already completed.

Being a Trustee with Options for Life will:

  • Utilise your extensive skills and talents
  • Allow you to develop new skills
  • Improve personal networks
  • Improve career prospects
  • Get involved in the local community
  • Make a difference

They will pay any reasonable expenses associated with your role as trustee. This may include reasonable travel expenses, the most common of which are travel to/from meetings.

To find out more you can visit – www.optionsforlife.info

Alternatively, contact their Chief Executive, Nicola Thomson for an informal chat on 0121 544 6611 or email sarah.verrecchia@optionsforlife.info and request a Trustee Recruitment Pack

Youth Mentoring Course for Volunteers

November 29, 2021by Leona in Blog, Volunteering tagged

A few spaces are available for our Introduction to Youth Mentoring course taking place in January 2022.

The free course is primarily for volunteers helping out with children and young people and will be delivered by Mentoring West Midlands on Thursday January 13th from 9.30am-3.30pm at a venue in Smethwick.

The course focuses on progressing conversations with youngsters to help them find their feet, and covers topics such as safeguarding, confidentiality and the importance of accuracy in reporting.
Participants on previous courses said it was very relevant to their roles in supporting young people and gave them a better insight into how to help them stay on track.

For more information and to book a place contact kim@scvo.info

KeyRing are looking for Community Connection Volunteers In Sandwell

November 22, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, VCS Feature, Volunteering tagged , ,

Do you have an interest in supporting a diverse group of people in your local area to live independently and build the life they want?

As a KeyRing Volunteer, your time can be flexible, from 1 – 3 hours per week, that work around you and your commitments. In return KeyRing will provide you with an invaluable experience to enhance your C.V, meet new people and learn new skills.

Keyring can help to unlock your future career in Health and Social Care.

Find out about KeyRing here.

For further information, please call Lucy Downing on 07534 350 167 for an informal chat.

 

Midland Mencap is looking for new Trustees

November 22, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, VCS Feature, Volunteering tagged ,

Midland Mencap is the region’s leading disability charity. Originally established in 1949, Midland Mencap is a registered charity providing a wide range of support and wellbeing services to citizens and family carers.

The charity is looking for new Trustees to join the existing board and work alongside a skilled, experienced, and talented leadership team to help steer the organisation through a time of change, growth and organisational development. They want trustees who will share their skills and experience appropriately, through communication with staff and other trustees.

The trustees are the custodians of Midland Mencap and are legally responsible for ensuring that resources are used effectively in pursuit of our main objectives.

In practice this means, among other things, you will:

  • Uphold and adhere to the highest standard of charity governance as set out by the Charity Commission.
  • Contribute to the strategic direction of the charity.
  • Monitor the performance of the executive against the organisation’s strategic and operational plans.
  • Contribute to the identification and monitoring of risk.
  • Participate in meaningful discussions at Board (and committees) with your expertise, skills, knowledge, and experience.

See the recruitment pack.

For more information or an informal chat, please feel free to contact CEO, Dave Rogers, on Dave.Rogers@midlandmencap.org.uk

 

 

Pact seeks volunteers to support people with convictions

November 9, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, Volunteering tagged ,

Pact is a nationwide prison charity that provides support to prisoners, people with convictions, and their families, in the Black Country. Pact is canvassing for volunteers for a project just starting up, the ETE Mentoring service.

The Employment Training and Education (ETE) Mentoring service is responsible for providing support, guidance, training and development opportunities to those referred into the service for help. Pact is looking for volunteers to assist service users to successfully engage with education, training, volunteering and/or employment. Mentoring opportunities take place Monday to Friday, between 9 am and 5 pm; a minimum of 4 hours per week for a minimum of 6 months.

The role, includes
Researching and developing links with local services
Meeting service users and supporting with ETE activities
Involvement in group interventions and 1:1 mentoring

Experience:
Talking to people face to face or via telephone in a professional capacity
Handling Sensitive data

Skills / Abilities:
Self-motivation
Verbal and written communication skills
Teamwork
Attitudes
Being friendly and approachable
Empathy
Non judgemental

What is offered?
Volunteers will be fully trained and will be paid travel costs, via public transport or private car (mileage) will be reimbursed, including travel to attend training. Lunch may also be reimbursed, according to Pact’s expenses policy.

For more information about Pact or to apply to become a volunteer please visit www.prisonadvice.org.uk or email volunteering@prisonadvice.org.uk

Volunteers will be subject to two references and a DBS check (Disclosure & Barring Service).

Visit the website.

Training company looking for volunteers with digital and social media skills

November 4, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, Training Support and Resources, Volunteering tagged ,

Building Bridges Training is an independent social enterprise helping to makes a difference to people with a learning disability, to be included and have full and valued roles in their local community, through delivering training, research and resources.

Building Bridges Training is looking for volunteers who are familiar with using Android tablets and social media, particularly Facebook.

Your role will be to support people with a learning disability to learn:
• How to use a tablet – to turn on and off and use a touch screen.
• Recognise familiar apps
• Search the internet using search engines and voice option, for helpful information e.g. weather, travel plans
• Use Facebook to send and receive messages
• Take photos and upload to Facebook
• Use the Able to Include app

Volunteers will also be expected to assist people to:
• Use a laptop and a mouse, Make personal PowerPoint presentations etc.
• Use the internet
• Use the pictogram translations and record their feedback in Word.

For further information, please get in touch with Liz Tilly at liz@building-bridges-training.org or call 0121 559 9197.

Visit the website

Get on Board

October 21, 2021by Libby Mahoney in Blog, SCVO News tagged , ,

Are you looking for new Trustees to sit on your organisation’s Board? Maybe it needs a breath of fresh air or a diversity makeover?

SCVO and our volunteering website www.letsgosandwell.info will be specifically promoting such opportunities during Trustees’ Week, November 1-5.

Trustees play an invaluable role in the voluntary sector. They come from all walks of life and share expert advice in skills ranging from finance to food handling, which all helps an organisation be the best it can.

If you would like to call out for new volunteer additions to your team get in touch with kim@scvo.info

#SandwellTrustees
#TrusteesWeek

Help improve Volunteering in Health

October 11, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, Volunteering tagged , ,

Health and Care volunteers are invited to join in some vital research to help improve future services.   NHS Health Education England’s National Volunteering Unit wants to learn:

• About the training you have received as a volunteer
• How they can better support health and care volunteers through the provision of education, training, and development resources

This is a chance for you to have your say; the results of this survey will be used to inform the production of relevant and useful learning for health and care volunteers.

Please complete the short survey by following this link.

If you have queries, please contact volunteering@hee.nhs.uk

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