Author: Madhuri Maguire

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Looking forward to new opportunities this Volunteers’ Week

After a tumultuous year and a half, people across Kingston are looking forward to discovering new volunteering opportunities or rediscovering the joy of giving their time. So whether you’re looking forward to restarting your volunteering journey in the new normal or want to start volunteering for the first time, read on to find out how you can get involved.

 

Getting out to nature

We’ve all had a bit of zoom fatigue and we’d love to get out and about in nature. There are loads of volunteering opportunities that help you enjoy the outdoors while also helping protect it for others. You can become a Countryside Volunteer and take part in protecting habitats with a group. It’s led by qualified staff and is a great way to learn about the countryside. Or you can join Citizen Zoo in Surbiton and along the Hogsmill River, and help rewild parts of Kingston.

Search for other roles to support the environment here.

 

Raising money while making friends

Charity shops have been badly affected by the pandemic and they are very keen for more volunteers to use their skills to help sell secondhand items and raise money for good causes.

Looking to rejuvenate your social circle? Then volunteering at a charity shop can be a great way of making friends. Join this friendly Oxfam shop and support people affected by poverty worldwide.

Charity shops are particularly interested in people with special skills or knowledge – perhaps you are a fashionista, an expert in valuable cameras, a music buff or are just great at chatting to customers. Princess Alice Hospice is looking for an avid fashion volunteer and you can apply here.

Charity shops are also great for people who have never volunteered before and want to get more experience before taking on other opportunities. This Oxfam shop takes on volunteers aged 14 plus and requires no experience.

Search for other charity shop roles here.

 

Using professional skills to help charities

As charities recover from this period, they are seeking people with professional skills and some time to give. As a trustee, you will play a key part in the strategic future of organisations. Your professional support, advice and expertise, will benefit a not-for-profit organisation immensely. Find trustee opportunities here.

If you are good with words and understand social media, you can volunteer to help raise the profile of charities, ensuring they get funding and can reach the people who need support. Find marketing volunteer roles here.

 

Bringing people together

If you want to bring people together, you are not alone. There are loads of opportunities for people who want to get back to getting together, with the Save the World club looking to recruit Befrienders for the Covid recovery cafes at venues across Kingston.

If you are interested in other volunteering roles, please search on our website here.

You can also contact us for support to find the right for you.

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Making a difference in someone’s life: Natasha’s story

 

An A-level student who wants to pursue a career in medicine, Natasha started volunteering at a local COVID-19 vaccination centre during the Easter holidays. She had some previous volunteering experience in roles facilitated by her school, but when she heard through a family friend that St. Christopher’s Church was opening a vaccination site, she saw it as a great opportunity to help people and also gain some experience in her desired field of study.

At the site, Natasha is part of a small group of volunteers supporting the vaccine roll-out at St. Christopher’s Church. Because it’s a newer site and Natasha joined right at the beginning, she says there’s always been a lot to do, from admin duties like patient bookings and signing people in, helping pharmacists and those administering the vaccine, to writing description sheets that would support volunteers in the execution of their duties.

Initially having signed up for a couple of sessions, she’s been returning ever since. “I really enjoy going there,” says Natasha. “There’s always something to do that I can help with and it’s a nice break from schoolwork and all of that. But I also like to feel like I’m being useful.” Wanting to pursue a career in medicine, it’s probably no surprise that Natasha likes to help people. “It actually brings me joy knowing that I can help people.”

But learning has also been a significant part of her experience. “I learned a lot about the organisation of things,” she explains. “I even learned how to draw syringes, which was pretty cool! But you can really learn all kinds of valuable skills that can apply to what you want to do in life like team working and communicating with different types of people and of all ages.”

Aside from being educational, she also describes the experience as fun and says she enjoys talking to the patients and other volunteers. But most of all Natasha characterises volunteering as being rewarding. “To think that what you do can have a really big impact on someone else is just really rewarding,” she says. “The little things you can do should never be underestimated.”

“There are always opportunities for someone to volunteer and I think anyone has the potential to make someone’s life better. And I think that’s really valuable.”

Do you feel inspired by this story? Would you like to volunteer and help make a difference in your community? Check out the current openings here.

 

This article was written by Dany Rubbo, Comms Volunteer at Volunteering Kingston.
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Delivering goodwill and essential supplies

 

We spoke to Liam at Alfriston Outreach Service about how they are involving volunteers in their work. Looking forward, Alfriston Outreach Service want to carry on involving volunteers, moving away from short term practical tasks to befriending and volunteer-led activities. With a set of pre-COVID volunteers, the current food delivery volunteers and the future recruits, the Alfriston team is planning ahead and looking forward to welcoming their service users back at the Centre.

 

Alfriston Outreach Service is a Day Centre that offers a range of services such as activity packs, shopping/delivery, prescription pick-up, hearing aid batteries, laundry, crisis support, and technology support to Kingston residents. In the past, a typical day would see many residents walking into the Centre to socialize and interact with other service users. However, since March 2020 they have remained closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, they have been contracted by Kingston Council to provide support for older people such as delivering food and other essential supplies.

Volunteers have always played a key role at the Alfriston Outreach Service Centre taking up everyday tasks to support their services. Although the Centre has traditionally recruited volunteers through word of mouth, they’ve found Team Kinetic (Volunteering Kingston’s volunteer management platform) much more effective for recruiting and managing volunteers. According to the Alfriston Outreach Service, the platform’s user-friendly outlook with simplified interactive features has been a game changer.

It was during the initial days of the lockdown when Liam and his manager found it very challenging to manage the office-based tasks alongside travelling to various parts of the Borough to deliver food. So they decided to recruit for two roles that needed one or two volunteers and received an overwhelming response from twenty-five volunteers who were keen to get out to help those in need and offer their share of service towards the community.

 

Without volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to do this. Once we got in touch with Volunteering Kingston, everything happened very quickly and it made things run a lot smoother.

 

The volunteers who came on board to support with the food delivery role have been delivering more than just the essential supplies, they have been delivering smiles, a hearty chat and acting as an observant eye to check on the well-being of the service users. For example, one volunteer reported that a service user seemed a little confused during their interaction, which led to the Alfriston team checking on the resident to make sure they received the support they needed. Alfriston Outreach Service fully appreciates how volunteers have come forward during these tough times to spread goodwill in the community. To further amplify this, there are plans to include the volunteers in an Easter Egg delivery in the coming weeks. We at Volunteering Kingston think that this is a fantastic idea and perhaps the volunteers could dress up as Easter bunnies? Just a thought!

 

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Our Vaccine Heroes

For the last ten months, Covid-19 has changed our lives beyond recognition. It has been the most extraordinary and challenging period that most can remember. The Covid-19 vaccine is the way out of this difficult period – and yet again people who live, work and study in Kingston have stepped up to support their community.

Volunteering Kingston has been recruiting volunteers on behalf of New Malden & Worcester Park Primary Care Network. The volunteers have been welcoming people into the clinic, helping people find the right car parking spaces and making sure that the whole vaccination process runs smoothly.

We have over 70 volunteers give their time and helping protect Kingston.

Here is what some of them have to say:

 

 

 

And a thank you from one of the doctors:

 

We can’t promise Nandos every volunteering session – but if you need another reason to get involved!

 

Want to join them?

Search vaccine here.

Contact us if you have any questions or want any support.

Other ways to help?

Volunteering in person is not right for everyone at the moment. Here are some other ways to support the vaccination effort from home:

  • Remind friends and family to wait to be contacted by their GP. Also, remind them to make sure they are registered with a GP.
  • Share trusted information from reliable sources with friends and family.
  • Spread awareness of scams that are circulating around the Covid-19 vaccine. Find out more here.

There are other ways to support people affected by Covid-19.

  • Voices of Hope are a community choir who transformed themselves into a food and support group. Find out how to get involved here.
  • Sewing for Kingston is an amazing group who come together to make things to support the staff and patients at Kingston hospital – scrubs, face coverings, baby clothes and everything else you can imagine. Find out how to get involved here.
  • Find the right opportunities for you on Volunteering Kingston.

 

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Involving volunteers in this most unusual of festive seasons

Lots of people get the volunteering urge in the run-up to Christmas, from the desire to teach their children that there is more to the day than presents to the need to clear their head after too many mulled wines, it Is always a period for people to give their time.

This year, with many of the usual celebrations altered or stopped altogether, many people will be even more keen to volunteer.

For organisations, managing volunteer interest during a busy time can be a challenge. Please see the tips below for how to support and involve volunteers – and make the most of the season of goodwill.

Keeping Christmas safe

Regardless of restrictions, people have always been permitted to volunteer outside their home if necessary. People who are extremely clinically vulnerable are advised not to go to work or volunteer outside of the home. When recruiting for roles which involved leading the home, please inform volunteers of the steps you have taken to keep them safe and ask them to confirm that they are not in a group asked to take extra care.

Organisations must take precautions as much as possible when using volunteers to deliver services in person. Please check our resource bank and the government guidance on how to keep people safe. Please get in touch with us if you’d like some bespoke advice.

Spreading joy at home

As we will be spending a lot more time at home why not encourage people who want to volunteer to get involved from the comfort of their sitting rooms? This is a great way of softening the blow to people who wanted to get out there volunteering, as well as keeping your current volunteers engaged and feeling rewarded.

Ideas to encourage volunteering from home:

*  Writing Christmas cards to service users – whether you give out their names (with permission) or just have people write ‘Hello’, this can be great if you are supporting people likely to be lonely this Christmas.

*  Zoom carol services.

*  Lots of people have clear-outs before and after Christmas – so encourage them to donate to your charity shop or why not look into creating an eBay shop?

*  Socially distanced Santa fun run. Rather than a parade of Santas running down the high street, you could have people run their usual running route in fancy dress and encourage people to spot Father Christmas ‘in the wild’.

*  Families will be looking for lots of activities to get the little ones busy over the Christmas holidays. Here are some ideas that engage families – they could be charged for as part of a fundraising campaign, but it is worth bearing in mind that many families will be struggling with finances this year, therefore, price accordingly – you could also allow entries based on ‘pay what you can’.

  1. Christmas drawing competitions
  2. Photo competition – the strangest place to find Santa’s elves
  3. Creative writing – e.g. wishes for 2021
  4. Toy clear out – encouraging donations for your charity shop. Send out digital certificates for children who donate toys etc.

*  Recording Christmas messages for service users – a great task for existing volunteers. They could record themselves singing Christmas songs, reading Christmas stories (for children in particular) and tell so-bad-they’re-good cracker jokes.

Once someone has been involved in a small way, they often are interested in volunteering more. Make sure to follow up with volunteers (if they consent!) with details of any volunteering opportunities in the new year.

Christmas free zones

Some people, after a difficult year, will be looking forward to the festivity and joy of this period. Others may find it hard to celebrate this year, especially if they have suffered from bereavement or are facing a lonely Christmas.

You may find that you want to focus more on 2021 and a fresh new start that the new year brings. Focusing in on the benefits that any new volunteers might bring, or what you are planning in the new year may be more effective.

Of course, there are many people who do not celebrate Christmas. Consider noting other religious holidays in your communications.

Some Jewish people volunteer on Mitzvah Day which this year was held on 15 November. We spoke to Rebecca Singerman-Knight, the Deputy Chair of Kingston Liberal Synagogue, who said:

“We have been involved in two volunteering projects for Mitzvah Day this year. For the first, our members recorded videos of themselves singing favourite songs or reading poems, and we compiled a playlist to share with elderly residents in Jewish Care homes across the country who have been suffering this year due to lack of visitors.  You can watch the playlist here.

 

We are also running an ongoing project in which our members are putting together personal hygiene bags for homeless people and we will be delivering these to Kingston Churches Against Homelessness at the end of November”.

Why not get in touch with your local place of worship to ask if they are interested in celebrating a particular holiday through volunteering.

Directing people to opportunities

If you have people interested in volunteering who you can’t accommodate, encourage them to read this festive volunteering blog and find out more about activities they could take up this festive season.

You could also encourage them to search for roles using our new website.

Remember, we are always here to help and support with any aspect of involving volunteers.

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Celebrate the festive season with volunteering

The run-up to Christmas is very different this year and volunteering for Christmas is no different. While there are still some volunteer roles that will require in-person volunteers it is likely that most volunteering will be done from home.

 

Out and about

There will be fewer opportunities to volunteer out and about this Christmas, but there are a couple of ways to volunteer:

Safety first – always following NHS and government guidance. Never volunteer when you are unwell or told to self-isolate, and do not volunteer outside of your home if you in a high-risk group.

 

From the comfort of your own home

If you’d prefer to do good from the sofa, here are some ways you can show goodwill to all this Christmas:

  1. Organise a virtual Christmas quiz to raise money for a good cause. Lots of big charities create quiz packs ready-made to be used – they are a great way of bringing together extended family over zoom.
  2. Order your Christmas cards from a charity’s website, for example, Cards for Good Causes or from a charity shop.
  3. Sign up to be a telephone buddy and commit to a half-hour friendly conversation with a lonely person into the new year.
  4.  Join Sewing for Kingston and use your crafting skills to make important items – from scrubs for medical staff to face coverings to blankets for premature babies: “Our community are a font of knowledge and are always happy to share tips and expertise via our Facebook group, so I’d encourage anyone who’s a bit nervous about sewing or related crafts to join up and give it a go”.
  5. Become a Street Champion and be a hub for local donations of food.

 

Places to donate

It has been a very challenging year for everyone, and if you’re in the position to donate, there are many charities in Kingston who will be very grateful for whatever you can spare:

  • As sadly big parties are likely to be out this year, if you are able, why not donate the money you would have spent to Kingston foodbank?
  • Donate to Voices of Hope to help families enjoy the festive season with gift boxes full of presents and festive activities.
  • If you want to learn more about organisations before you make your mind up as to which one should receive your money, you can find stories about the amazing things they have done over the past nine months.

 

Looking forward to the new year

Want to put 2020 behind you? You are not alone!

If you want to embrace the challenges and joys of 2021 then why not have a look for a volunteer role in the new year. You could improve your admin skills, befriend people who are isolated or get outdoors helping with gardening. Get in touch with us to find out more.

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Making a difference with a meal

Anna started volunteering with Voices of Hope during lockdown earlier this year. She is a trained chef and after finding herself out of employment, she wanted to make a difference to people who had been disproportionately impacted by the lockdown. She cooked meals that were delivered to people who were usually supported by other services.

As lockdown measures have eased and Voices of Hope (VOH) have been able to reintroduce some of their activities, Anna has continued to volunteer with them. She has especially enjoyed getting involved with the Sisterhood Sanctuary, one of the many community projects run by VOH, for women who have experienced domestic violence, assault, abuse, and mental or physical health challenges. They get together and enjoy different activities such as making cake decorations, beauty treatments and talks from local businesses. Anna cooks lunch for the women at these sessions; she said she loves seeing the impact it has on them.

“Cooking someone a meal makes such a difference”

Do you have a skill that could be beneficial to a local charity? If you’d like help finding a volunteering role, please do get in touch.

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“Being a trustee offers a real and important way of contributing to society”

Richard Williams
Chair of Trustees, Learn English at Home

 

Learn English At Home (LEAH) provides one on one English tuition to disadvantaged migrants and refugees in the SW London boroughs of Kingston, Richmond, and Hounslow.  Richard initially volunteered as a tutor with LEAH when he retired from his career in the Civil Service. He explained that the experience gave him a “real appreciation of the benefits LEAH brought to migrant communities in the area, and of the needs of and problems experienced by those communities”.

When the opportunity to become a trustee of LEAH arose, Richard jumped at the chance. We asked him about his experience of being a trustee, and more recently, the Chair of the Board. We asked Richard what it really takes to become a Trustee.

 

What do your responsibilities look like as a trustee?

My main role recently has been contributing to and chairing meetings about the charity’s work and its future strategy.  I chair the Board of Trustees and attend other committees – we run a Programme Development Committee, a Fundraising Committee, and a Finance Committee.  As well as contributing to the charity’s future strategy, I attend fundraising events, speak about the charity’s work to local stakeholders, and become involved in discussions with local stakeholders and funders.  I also line manage the charity’s Director.  I think one of the functions of the Chair is to raise the profile of the charity and to spread information about its work, and I always seek ways of doing more of this.

 

What has been the best thing about being a trustee?

It has been really good to work with a group of people who are genuinely committed to improving a lot of disadvantaged communities and promoting social cohesion in what seems a difficult time for migrants.  I’ve been impressed by the successes we have achieved, and by the stories our students bring about how improving their English has enriched their lives.

 

What hopes do you have for the Board’s future?

We are an inclusive Board, although hardly as diverse as our client communities.  I hope that we will be able to enrich the Board with new and more diverse talent in the coming months and years.

 

How has COVID-19 impacted on your role as a trustee this past year?  

This has indeed been a turbulent year. We have had to change the ways we work in so many ways.  I am proud of the way we have turned what was a face-to-face service into a remotely-delivered one, which continues to benefit many of our disadvantaged clients. Trustees have been very active in keeping abreast of this and acting as a critical friend to the Director as she has introduced these changes. Trustees’ meetings have also become virtual, which presents some challenges in managing a busy agenda. There is a plus side, however, our new ways of working have given us many ideas about how to deliver new and better services in the future, and thereby enrich the support we give to our students – and that can only be a good thing.

 

Would you recommend becoming a trustee to other people?

Being a trustee offers a real and important way of contributing to society and our local communities – the opportunity to develop and expand networks in the local community, and to develop links, and sometimes friendships with other people working with disadvantaged groups.  The work is interesting and although it takes some time and effort, it is very worthwhile.

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Planning your gap year? Why not consider volunteering?

Lots of young people are planning their gap years after a tumultuous six months. A lot of normal gap year rites of passage are not possible at the moment. Volunteering is a great way of making the most of your gap year – it helps you gain new skills and knowledge, as well as providing experiences that will last a lifetime.

Volunteering can also be flexible around other commitments, such as re-taking exams, finding a part-time job and caring for others.

Of course, we have all had to take precautions during this period. When volunteering you should have a discussion to mitigate any risks. There are also loads of roles you can do from home, from helping a charity’s social media to making phone calls to isolated people.

 

Supporting people and communities

During this period we have seen an astonishing explosion in volunteering from the NHS Responders Volunteers to the informal Mutual Aid groups that have sprung up. Volunteers in formal and informal groups have delivered shopping, medical supplies and provided a friendly ear on the phone.

Past few months have exacerbated and exposed many social issues. Black Lives Matter and the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities have encouraged many people to join antiracist campaigns. Loneliness and poverty have also been highlighted and many people have banded together in new and innovative ways to combat them.

If you want to make a difference and give your time to support the most vulnerable in society, you can search here for different causes.

 

Upskilling

Of course, volunteering is not only about others, but it can also help you gain new skills and experience in advance of further studying.

That could be gaining experience with children or supporting adults, getting admin or marketing experience for your first office job, or in an area of interest such as theatre or the environment.

When applying for your volunteer role, make sure that you are clear about what you want to learn and what skills you want to gain with the organisation. As you are helping them, they should support you in gaining the skills or let you know if that is not possible.

 

Adventure

Travelling around the world may not be possible at the moment, but you can still get a taste of adventure and widen your horizons before you get back to studying or start your career.

You might consider full-time volunteering, which involves moving to another part of the country having accommodation and other expenses paid for. Find out more at full-time volunteering.

You might want to set up your own group to show your initiative and explore an area you are interested in. The Library Service can help you with this.

 

Support and advice

If you want any support or advice about volunteering please get in touch. You can reach us through

Call: 0300 365 9980

Email: enquiry@volunteeringkingston.org.uk

Web: www.volunteeringkingston.org.uk

Facebook: @volunteeringkingston

Twitter: @vol_kingston

Visit Story Map to learn more about Volunteering Kington.