Why Volunteer?
The benefits of volunteering are various and positive. Whether you are getting involved for personal or professional reasons or both, volunteering has something to offer you. You can:
-Make a valuable contribution to the people you volunteer with and your community
-Create a pathway to employment
-Develop your current skills and learn new ones
-Learn about disabilities, mental health and the social care sector
-Receive references and Certificate from Outward and if you are under 25 from the national youth volunteering organisation, Vinspired (www.vinspired.com)
Outward - What we do?
Working in five north east London boroughs, Outward provides services to people with a variety of support needs - learning disabilities, mental health issues, autistic spectrum disorders, care leavers, ex rough sleepers and elders.
We do this through residential services, supported living and outreach services. All of our services are geared to meet the needs of the individuals they support - no two services are exactly the same because no two service users are exactly the same! We are proud of the reputation we have as an organisation which is service user led and we work hard to maintain this.
Roles
Some of the volunteer roles in Outward are listed below – this is not an exhaustive list and we are always looking to committed individuals who are interested in volunteering in the social care or housing sector. Roles include:
Community volunteers – befrienders and aids in Registered Care and Supported Living. Spend time with individuals to complete everyday tasks, chat and participate in improving their every day lives.
Social event volunteers – helping at monthly socials.
Music & Drama Group volunteers – get involved planning and running these fun groups.
Skill share volunteers – share your skills with others who want to learn. Aid service users gain confidence and find ways into volunteering or paid employment.
Sporty volunteers – spend time playing sport and helping service users access local sports facilities as well as participating in Outward’s football league.
Creative volunteers – get creative and share your flare.
Valuing volunteers
Outward values volunteers and the contribution they can make to our services and the lives of the people who use our services. Volunteers can play a central role in enabling service users to become involved in the local community and more confident in achieving their life goals.
We work hard to find ways of making sure volunteers are listened to, consulted and involved as the organisation grows and develops. We have a dedicated Volunteering Development Officer and hold regular volunteer council meetings to involve volunteers in shaping how we develop the volunteering experience.
How to volunteer
The first step to becoming an Outward volunteer is to complete the application form and equal opportunities form as much as you can and return it to our Volunteering Officer, David Russell at drussell@outward.org.uk. You can find the forms in the "current vacancies" link to the right of this page.
We will than ask you to come meet us and discuss how you can best get involved. The forms can be completed at this stage if you wish.
All volunteers will be asked to provide two references and also will have to complete a Criminal Records Check (CRB). This is a standard check for all those wishing to work or volunteer with vulnerable adults. For further information on this process please see www.crb.gov.uk
It should be noted that individuals cannot begin volunteering until all steps in the application process have been completed and this can take several weeks.
Contact Details:
David Russell
Volunteering Development Officer
0208 709 9122
078 5051 7507
drussell@outward.org.uk
