Volunteer

Project: Faithworks CMA (Community Money Advice)
Locations: Poole (Thurs), Wimborne (any weekday) or Blandford (Tues or Thurs)
Time Commitment: minimum of 6 hours per week (to include one session at a Food Bank seeing clients plus admin time)

Role Description: meet with clients who are experiencing financial problems, sorting out their financial documents, completing financial fact find, supporting clients with budgeting and implementing a Debt Management Solution, and maintaining client records.
This role has the possibility to develop to a Debt Advisor role (full training will be provided).
*Full training will be provided in September/October and no previous experience is necessary

Key Attributes Needed: non-judgemental, a good listener, basic IT skills

You Will Gain Experience in: supporting those facing financial issues, operating as part of a wider team, providing support to enable clients to find practical solutions to debt and managing budgets, administration skills, maintaining client records, sending letters to clients and creditors.

For further information contact: Dawn Reed on 07469 019625 or email moneyadmin@faithworkswessex.org.uk

Project: SMILE lone parent families
Location: various locations across BCP and Dorset
Time Commitment: dependent on the length of an event

Role Description: support our community of lone parent mums and dads by volunteering at our retreats, days out and special events. We want our lone parents to know that they are very important people and so our events volunteers are vital in supporting the whole family through preparation on the day, helping children engage with activities and being a listening ear.

Skills Needed: enthusiasm for supporting families, ability to work as a team and willingness to take part in activities.

You Will Gain Experience in: community support, teamwork and working with children whilst having fun.

Project: Faithworks Homelessness – Storehouse
Location: Bournemouth
Time Commitment: Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, 9am – 4pm or 4 hours in the morning or afternoon.

Role Description: volunteer alongside Storehouse staff to assist in the delivery of furniture and equipment to vulnerable clients who have been recently housed.

Skills Needed: the role requires physical fitness and strength to move and sometimes lift heavy items. A driver’s licence will be needed for the driver role.

You Will Gain Experience in: working as part of a team to ensure tasks are carried out efficiently to make a difference to those coming out of homelessness and those who are vulnerable.

Project: Faithworks Homelessness, Half-time
Location: Bournemouth
Time Commitment: Mon & Fri, 9am – 1pm

Role Description: Half Time provides support and advice for those who are sleeping rough, or are in emergency accommodation.  Support includes one to ones with a support worker, laundry facilities and hot showers. Are you able to spare a few hours a week to partner with our staff, welcoming clients, making them a cuppa and processing their laundry?

Key Attributes Needed: friendly, non-judgemental and a team player with a desire to make a difference to those who are rough sleeping or vulnerably housed.

You Will Gain Experience in: supporting those who have experienced rough sleeping or living in vulnerable accommodation.

Project: SMILE lone parent families
Location: Poole
Time Commitment: Fri, 9am – 12pm

Role Description: We are looking for someone to help with the practicalities of running a coffee morning – helping with setting up, handing out teas, coffees and biscuits, cleaning up and helping to oversee the running of the programme.

Key Attributes Needed: friendly, reliable, patient, organised.

You Will Gain Experience in: working as part of a team, helping to prepare and run events.

Project: Faithworks Homelessness – HealthBus Connection Stations
Location: Bournemouth
Time Commitment: Thursdays, 9am – 12.30pm

Role Description: working alongside one of our support workers at our HealthBus, you will be a friendly face and build rapport with the guests, ensuring they feel welcome. You will also assist guests with using the laptop or phone, assist in the maintenance of guest records and connect people to services which will help them to get off the streets.
*Full training will be provided.

Key Attributes Needed: team player, kind, compassionate and accepting, be a good listener, a ‘people’s person’, have a heart to support people with getting off and staying off the streets.

You Will Gain Experience in: working as part of a busy but very supportive team and working alongside those who are homeless to support them off the streets and into accommodation.

Project: SMILE lone parent families
Location: Poole
Time Commitment: Thursday, 1pm-3pm (during term-time)

Role Description: we are looking for someone to help look after pre-schoolers and babies while mums are exercising in another room.

Key Attributes Needed: relate well with young children, patient, friendly, reliable
*Experience with children is desirable for this role

You Will Gain Experience in: working with children and working as part of a team.

Project: Faithworks Homelessness, Doorstop Shop
Location: Bournemouth
Time Commitment: Weds, 10am – 2pm; Sat, 10am – 4pm (shifts are usually 10am – 1pm & 1pm – 4pm).

Role Description: we are looking for volunteers to help out at our shop, serving customers, assisting at the checkout and sharing the vision of our project.

Key Attributes Needed: friendly, comfortable dealing with the general public, happy to answer questions about The Doorstop Shop (support will be provided), a passion to see people move on from homelessness.

You Will Gain Experience in: operating within a retail environment, working as part of a team and gain insight in to some of the issues surrounding homelessness.

Project: Faithworks Recovery
Location: Winton
Time Commitment: Thursdays, 9am – 4pm

Role Description: we are looking for volunteers who will come alongside our clients, building rapport and creating a friendly atmosphere, as well as getting involved with various activities that take place on a Thursday.
*We will provide full training and ongoing support for all aspects of your role.

Key Attributes Needed: organised and friendly.

You Will Gain Experience in: working as part of a team, supporting those overcoming addictions.

Project: Faithworks Homelessness, Gardening Team
Location: Bournemouth
Time Commitment: Monday and/or Wednesday, 9am -4pm

Role Description: Join our gardening team as we service the gardens of the vulnerable in our community, mowing lawns, planting flowers, clearing paths and making gardens safe and neat.
*Please note that training will be provided, as needed, for larger gardening machinery.

Key Attributes Needed: enjoy being outdoors, motivated, personable, patient, reliable, willing to learn and gain new skills.

You Will Gain Experience in: working as part of a team, communication, problem solving, providing practical support to those in the community, gardening!

Project: Faithworks Homelessness – Carpenters Workshop
Location: Poole
Time Commitment: Mons & Tues, 10am – 5pm or Weds, 11am – 5pm

Role Description: we are looking for someone to work alongside ex-rough sleepers to produce wooden products for sale in our shop. You will also offer encouragement and positive advice as appropriate, allow guests to take a lead role and supervise when required and encourage trainees and support them in the workshop.
*DIY experience is not essential to this role as full training will be provided. All safety footwear and PPE will be also be provided.

Key Attributes Needed: must be a team player with a desire to make a difference.

You Will Gain Experience in: helping trainees move forward in their journey learning valuable, interchangeable skills. Working alongside trainees and other volunteers to complete tasks.

For more information about this role contact Leo Gwizdala, Carpenters Workshop Manager, on 07549 351203 or email workshop@faithworkswessex.org.uk

Project: Faithworks Recovery, Beach Walks
Location: Starting from Boscombe Pier
Time Commitment: Mondays, 12pm – 2pm

Role Description: we run weekly beach walks with to provide daily structure and friendship for those in recovery. We require a minimum of two volunteers at each walk – preferably one male and one female, alongside our staff who will also endeavour to be at each walk.
*You will receive full training and support for your role.

Key Attributes Needed: organised and friendly

You Will Gain Experience in: supporting those overcoming addictions.

Project: Bournemouth Town Pastors
Location: Bournemouth town centre
Time Commitment: Saturday, 8.30pm – Sunday, 12.30am once a month

Role Description: patrol the town centre of Bournemouth on Saturday nights, helping anyone in need out in the night-time economy. You will be part of a team of either 3 or 4 men/women, with a distinctive uniform, carrying a lightweight bag containing supplies such as water, flip flops, foil blankets etc.

Key Attributes Needed: be compassionate and non-judgemental

You Will Gain Experience in: being part of a team and frontline support for those out in the night-time economy.

For further information contact: Chris on 07999 484989 or email chrismcdermott@bournemouthtownpastors.org.uk

Project: Poole Town Pastors
Location: Poole town centre
Time Commitment: 2 Saturdays a month, 3pm – 6pm and occasional festivals

Role Description: you will join a team of Christians from local churches. This team is committed to help calm any tensions, provide practical and emotional support when required.  Town Pastors come alongside young people, the homeless, elderly and lonely, to show our faith and pray with anyone who asks.

Key Attributes Needed: be able to listen without being judgemental.

You will gain experience in: listening skills, being part of a team and supporting the general public.

*For further information contact: John and Anne Ainsworth by emailing pooletownpastors@gmail.com or phoning 01202 738615.