Tag: Volunteering

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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.

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Saying thanks to the volunteers from Kingston Association for the Blind

For this Volunteers Week, we heard from volunteers from Kingston Association for the Blind (KAB), who spoke about their experiences for Volunteers’ Week.

Alex P is a Volunteer Eye Buddy for Kingston Association for the Blind (KAB) and they go out for exercise with a visually impaired man every week. During lockdown “unfortunately our usual routine has been temporarily suspended, although we still stay in touch. I’ve joked with my buddy that I need to find someone else to take me on my weekly walk and he’s always in good spirits – luckily he has family who can help him to remain safe and stocked up with food.”

Some of the members of KAB are self-isolating entirely to protect themselves or on the shielded list. Alex P has been dropping off phone cards from the post office from one member, so she can continue to stay in contact with her sister abroad. Alex P says “It’s a pretty simple task but it can make a big difference to someone, who’s no doubt finding this period a lot more difficult than me. And personally, it feels satisfying to know that I’m helping out – because even the small things will add up.”

Another Alex and KAB volunteer was due to help at their first Ten Pin Bowling Group for Kingston Association for the Blind (KAB) when the COVID 19 lockdown kicked in. He says “Naturally, it was frustrating to be locked away from everyone but it quickly dawned on me that I was in a very privileged position. I’m young, relatively safe and have lots of free time to help those in need, who really cannot leave their homes.”

“Then KAB got in contact with me to see if I could help a visually impaired elderly lady near me, doing a food shop and prescription pick-up. Again, I was nervous – will I buy the right thing? What if they haven’t got what she wants? What if I’m not being hygienic enough? These worries went quickly as I got into a routine, ringing up weekly to catch up. I learnt a bit more about Maureen and we get on very well – we’ve found out a lot about each other. One day, we wish to sit down and share a cup of tea and a biscuit, but for now, we’ll just have to keep going how we are – and that’s okay.”

Maureen says “what a lovely young man Alex is and how lucky his parents are to have him!”

James N has been volunteering for KAB for three years taking members out on a tandem bike, providing exercise and freedom. As this has been on pause during this period he has been relaxing in his hammock, enjoying the quiet roads and keeping fit on his bike for when he can return to volunteer.

Sally H has been a Volunteer Eye Buddy with a lady called Catherine for sixteen months. She says “we have grown very fond of each and have a good rapport.” During the Lockdown, while she couldn’t meet with Catherine they have kept in regular contact. “Although her family have bought her ‘Alexa’ and she now has talking books and enjoyed Pride and Prejudice, she says it’s no substitute for me and she still wants me back!! Phew!” Sally has also bought and delivered get well gifts for two friends of Catherine who have been unwell.

With the easing of some restrictions, Catherine and Sally have discussed meeting in Catherine’s garden (while obviously obeying social distancing rules and taking care of hygiene). Sally says “It will be lovely to see her again”.

We think it’s #TimeToSayThanks to these wonderful volunteers, who have volunteered all year round, and made such a difference.

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Kingston’s community response to COVID-19

We have all been affected by COVID-19 in some way.   With all the stress, isolation and tragic losses of this time, one thing which has been heart-warming has been the way that the community has rallied round to support the more vulnerable members of society. Whether it’s people starting up local informal groups to hundreds of thousands signing to be an NHS Responder, Kingston volunteers have gone the extra mile.

During a time of crisis, people come together, and close to home in Kingston, we have seen how very quickly groups of individuals organised themselves to help others. This has renewed our appreciation for the people who give up their time to help others.

Are you keen to join the local pool of COVID-19 responders? We need your support now and as we transition volunteering needs for the long term. Here are some of the ways to get involved in your community:

A creative synergy

Specialist groups, such as Sewing for Kingston, have been making essential kits for key workers to help make wearing PPE more bearable. They are also making pairs of hearts for patients in hospitals who cannot have visitors but can feel connected, in spirit, with their family members.

Feeding people in need

Voices of Hope have supported thousands of hungry people during this period. They usually run projects to reduce social isolation through choirs for people dealing with trauma. With the support volunteers, they rapidly transformed into a food hub, preparing over 10,000 hot meals for those unable to do so. They have also provided a delivery service to as many of the 18,000 people aged over 70 in Kingston as possible.

Kingston Foodbank has been feeding people during this period and is always looking for new donations.

Helping our newest Kingston residents

Growababy Kingston has been delivering baby formula, nappies and baby food for those in need during this challenging time.

Kingston Stronger Together

In Kingston, Over 1,200 volunteers have signed up and they are supporting with food deliveries, driving and befriending people by phone.

This astonishing volunteering mobilisation, informal and formal, shows that volunteers are a key part of the response to the crisis.

As we move slowly from the current period into the recovery period, we can take comfort in the instinct that people give their time to help others. We will be telling volunteer stories throughout Volunteers’ Week. Join us in saying thanks to these heroes this Volunteers’ Week, tell us about a volunteer that has made a difference in your community, either an individual, a volunteer organisation or a local neighbourhood initiative. Tag us in your thank you messages so we can share it with others and use the hashtag #TimeToSayThanks.

This post is part of our Volunteers’ Week blog series.

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Kingston Volunteers’ Week – Our time to say thanks 

National Volunteers’ Week is a chance for organisations across the country to recognise the contribution of their volunteers. This Volunteers’ Week Volunteering Kingston are saying Thank You to all the volunteers who have stepped up to support the Kingston community response to COVID-19, as well as the many dedicated volunteers who have contributed many hours of volunteering to local charities and organisations over the years who would love to be helping at the moment but aren’t able to do so because of social distancing guidance. We will be sharing stories about the fantastic Kingston volunteers throughout the week on our social media pages Twitter: @Vol_Kingston Facebook /VolunteeringKingston use the hashtags #TimeToSayThanks and #KingstonStrongerTogether.

The Volunteering Kingston team want to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers supporting the most vulnerable members of their communities: from communities and faith groups coming together and communities setting up neighbourhood volunteer initiatives, neighbours checking in on each other and kids transforming their windows into beautiful artworks to brighten up the commute of a key worker.  You are all making a huge difference!

If you are one of the 1200+ people who signed up as a volunteer to support the COVID-19 response, Thank you! If you have been unable to get onto a shift because of the high number of volunteers wanting to help, there are still many things you can do, simply calling a friend or relative who may be isolating goes a long way. Throughout the week we will be sharing ideas of how to volunteer from home so keep an eye on our social media pages for that. And remember that by simply staying at home you are also doing your bit to keep others safe.

Watch our Volunteers’ Week Thank You video.

Thank you from everyone at Volunteering Kingston and Kingston Stronger Together.

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Ailsa’s life-changing experience as a KCAH volunteer

Ailsa lives in Thames Ditton and had worked in the hospitality industry for eighteen years since she left school. Having fallen out of love with working in pubs, she wanted to do something rewarding. She registered with Volunteering Kingston and then learnt, through the newsletter, about the Volunteers’ Fair in during Volunteers’ Week 2019. 

She found all the organisations she spoke to interesting, but she was most impressed by Sophie and Megan at Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness. She thought they were the most inspiring because they were so clued and passionate about supporting vulnerable people. She hadn’t really thought much about homelessness before, but now she was excited to start volunteering. 

Before the Night Shelter opened in September Ailsa volunteered supporting Sophie with the preparations. She emailed potential volunteers and sought donations for food and sleeping bags. Her biggest achievement was managing to source a meal from a different restaurant each night for the thirty guests who attend the shelter. She was excited to get involved and looking forward to meeting the guests and making a difference. 

As she says, coming to Volunteering Kingston’s Volunteers’ Week Fair changed her life. She quit her job the day the night shelter opened and was offered work with KCAH as the Office Coordinator. 

Volunteering as the Night Shelter Assistant was Ailsa’s first time, but now she’s a convert, encouraging friends and family to volunteer. She’s found that volunteering was the only thing that helped her move on from a low phase. She describes it as ‘food for the soul’. 

During the COVID-19 period working with KCAH, she’s had some of the most stressful days of her life, as well as the most rewarding. She now coordinates volunteers, and they’ve been driving, putting food parcels together and staff the hotel where 60 rough sleepers are now staying.  

When asked about the best thing about volunteering, she says that it’s “meeting a lot of people who are trying to make a positive change in the world. It’s upped my faith in people.” Asked to sum volunteering up in three words, she says: “incredible; life-changing.” 

If you’d like to learn how volunteering can change your life, find out more here.

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Doing good makes you feel good

Mental Health Week 2020 is upon us and with everything going on in the world, it is important we take some time to reflect on our mental wellbeing. 

The theme for this Mental Health Awareness week is Kindness. Acts of kindness like simply checking in on an isolated friend or neighbour is time well spent.  

It is also important to remember to be kind to yourself. The NHS recommends 5 top tips to look after your own mental wellbeing: 

  • Connect with others 
  • Keep a regular routine and set goals 
  • Manage your social media and news intake 
  • Do things you enjoy & try something new 
  • Look after your body by staying hydrated, eating well and getting daily exercise 

Volunteering is another excellent way to boost our mental wellbeing as it: 

  • Provides routine and structure. 
  • Increases self-esteem and confidence 
  • Imparts a sense of fulfilment 

     

There are so many ways we can help ourselves by helping others, this is a great opportunity to volunteer to support the most vulnerable members of our community. Whether that is with a local organisation through the Kingston COVID volunteering scheme or simply picking up the phone and calling a friend or relative to see how they are feeling. Find out more about how you can get involved in volunteering in your borough. 

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How to include volunteers at home

Most regular volunteering activities will have stopped during this time as a result of social distancing precautions. Please check in with your volunteers regularly, especially if they are living alone. 

If you are able to include volunteers in some way, please ask them if they’d like to be involved. Having something to do and feeling useful is really important for good mental health, especially during this period of social distancing. 

Here are some ideas of things they can do to stay involved: 

  • Proof reading of documents or other admin tasks that don’t involve sensitive data. 
  • Undertake free online training for something that will be useful when current precautions end. 
  • Supporting with social media. 
  • Researching advice, resources and positive things to share with service users during the current crisis. 
  • Film themselves providing training for a skill – for example cooking, home-based exercise or basic DIY. This could be shared with service users if appropriate. 
  • Film themselves talking about the value of being a volunteer and ask others who can volunteer to give their time. 
  • Volunteer by video call. 

 

If your volunteers don’t use the internet or are not tech-savvy, they could: 

  • Write about being a volunteer and encouraging others to volunteer. 
  • Come up with ideas for future fundraisers, trips, activities etc for when the current precautions end. 
  • Write thank you cards (obeying hygiene precautions) for funders or people volunteering now. 
  • If they have been volunteering for a long time, they could write a history of the organisation and how things have changed. This could be posted on the website. 
  • Become a penfriend or phone buddy. 

 

Volunteering with other organisations: 

  • If you can’t involve them and they want to volunteer, advise them to contact Volunteering Kingston and we will try and find the right role for them. 

 

Let us know if you have any other ideas or would like any support. 

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Staying safe when supporting others

If you are going to volunteer either as part of an organised volunteer response team, with a local or mutual aid group, or running errands for a friend or neighbour it’s important to take the following precautions for your own safety but also to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

 

  1. Let family and friends know what you are doing 
  2. Maintain a safe distance of at least 2 metres – about 3 steps – from the people you are helping 
  3. If you are dropping off shopping for someone please don’t go inside the premises
  4. Try to volunteer during daylight hours
  5. Follow social distancing guidelines and don’t volunteer in large groups
  6. If possible, volunteer in pairs but staying 2 meters apart
  7. Support friends and family by phone or video call
  8. Keep washing your hands regularly and for 20 seconds
  9. If you are volunteering outside use hand sanitizer as frequently as possible
  10. If you join a local group supporting others be careful when sharing your personal data 

 

If you have any questions, concerns or you are worried about any individuals, please get in touch with us and we will be happy to support you and make referrals.

Other precautions you should take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 when volunteering are:

  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
  • Put used tissues in the bin straight away
  • Try to avoid close contact with other people
  • Avoiding public transport where possible

 

The most important thing to consider before volunteering is to make sure you are healthy enough to volunteer. You also don’t want to risk making someone else unwell. Please follow NHS advice and stay home if you have either:

  • A high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
  • A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

Stay safe, stay healthy!

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Coronavirus Information and Advice

Coronavirus (Covid -19) is making the headlines world over. Here is some information about what we are doing in light of the pandemic.

We are taking steps at Volunteering Kingston to prevent the spread of Coronavirus and advice on how you can keep yourself and others safe.

As a preventive measure, we are suspending all our Volunteer Advice Sessions for the time being. We will keep you informed of the latest updates and developments in the coming weeks.

Our other services are still very much up and running, the best ways to reach is to email: enquiry@volunteeringkingston.org.uk

We will keep you updated with what volunteering opportunities there are available at this time through our website, social media and volunteer newsletters.

It can be overwhelming to assess all the information coming from various sources. For credible information, we strongly recommend you to follow instructions and guidelines issued by verified sources such as Coronavirus (COVID-19): UK government response and NHS

The uncertainty around this pandemic might cause stress, anxiousness and social isolation. If you feel coronavirus is affecting the mental health and wellbeing of yourself or someone you know, please read the following guidelines for some advice.

What can I do to help?

Register on our volunteering platform if you’re looking to get involved in supporting others. Shortly we will be introducing a search function where volunteers can register their interest in volunteering specifically to help with the COVID- 19 response.

Alternatively, think about supporting your local food bank by donating items. Or donate to a charity who are already helping those in need of extra support such as #helpinghands

Informal or Micro volunteering

Call or Skype a relative or friend who you know is on their own or maybe worried.

Do you have a neighbour or relative who might be having to stay at home? Could you drop off a roll of toilet roll or essential items? Use this printable ‘Kindness card’ and post it through a trusted neighbour or relative’s door. Please be sure to take sensible hygiene precautions as well as taking care of your own health and safety.

We understand that people will be taking informal volunteering action and you may want to get involved with  small local action groups that are popping up in local communities across the country. If you do want to get involved with a local action group we would again encourage you to do so taking sensible precautions and responsibility for your own health and safety. Please read our advice on how to stay safe while volunteering.

Before volunteering, please make sure you have considered your own health, any caring commitments you may have and who you need to make aware that you are volunteering.

If you know of something happening locally or want to set something up yourself please let us know.

How can you help as a business or workplace?

Consider printing off some of the ‘Kindness cards’ and give them out. If possible, allow some flexibility if staff are volunteering – e.g. allow staff a longer lunch break to check in on a neighbour. Or consider holding a food bank donation drive in your workplace.

We will be reaching out to you in the coming weeks with further service updates and developments. Stay connected, stay safe.

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Gerard’s Journey of Becoming a Trustee

 

Gerard is a semi-retired independent social worker, who volunteers as a trustee for Home-Start Richmond, Kingston and Hounslow. Home-Start provides support to families in the boroughs of Richmond, Kingston and Hounslow who have at least one child under the age of five. The support varies according to the needs of each individual family, but volunteers are there to listen, offer friendship in times of need, and practical help, for example, during playtime or outings.

“Having worked in the social care sector throughout my life, I decided that, given this background, I still had something to contribute to the wellbeing of the more vulnerable members of the community.”

“My experience in child protection has given me the expertise to impart in assessing risk in vulnerable families and meeting the needs of children who may have suffered, or be likely to suffer harm.”

“I deliver safeguarding training to prospective volunteers – something I have always enjoyed and believe to be of great importance. I have also benefited from advising the volunteer coordinators on safeguarding matters. Of particular importance has been my providing supervision to the senior coordinator, giving us both the opportunity to reflect on our professional practice while acknowledging the personal impact of sometimes distressing and worrying circumstances involving children.”

“I would recommend being a trustee without hesitation. I think it’s important for each and every one of us to recognise that there exists a high level of need in our community and that we all have a responsibility to respond to this and do our utmost to ameliorate the lives of those who need help.”