Volunteer Centre Newsletter

Welcome to our Volunteer Centre newsletter.

As we are heading in to Autumn and the back to school season has come, perhaps you have some spare time and  are looking to try something different. You don't need to go to school to learn something new! Take a look at our volunteering opportunities, many of which provide training, and see if you can find something which will help you to gain and develop new skills. 

On the 19th of October we are hosting our volunteers fair with Broxbourne Alliance PCN in Cheshunt. This event will be the perfect opportunity to explore volunteering opportunities in the East Herts area, and to speak directly with local community groups and charities. You can find more details below. 

If you have any questions or queries about volunteering, please do not hesitate to get in touch. You can email us here, or give us a call on 01727 649950. To explore our volunteering opportunities, please click here.

We have split volunteering roles into the following sections: 

• Spotlight
• Short Term Roles and Micro Volunteering
• Longer Term Volunteering Roles 
• Trustee Roles 
• Driving Roles 

We have lots of training opportunities available here for anyone who would like to expand their skill set or try something new!

Robert Varney

Assistant Manager – Volunteer Centre & Enterprise Development

Communities 1st  

Volunteer befrienders, ESOL teachers and team members with Herts Welcomes Refugees

Herts Welcomes Refugees is looking for volunteers to become befrienders, to serve as ESOL teachers or to join the team. These volunteers would continue the work they do to support refugees and asylum seekers who have come to Hertfordshire. 
-As a befriender, you would be supporting a family or individual as they settle in to their new community. 
-As an ESOL teacher you would be providing structured ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) support to individuals or small groups. This can be face to face or online. 
-As a team member, you would be volunteering at asylum seeker hotels, providing support with a range of activities, such as helping with events, classes, outings etc. 
There are opportunities in multiple places across Hertfordshire. Please click the link to find out more.

Apply here.

Member Services Administrator with St Albans Community Bank

St Albans Community Bank are looking for volunteers to assist them with delivering their service to existing and potential members of their organistion. This role would be good for people who both would like to contribute to the organisation with the skills they already have, but also would like to learn new skills. 

Apply here.

Social Media Marketing Volunteer with HSO - Herts Schools Outreach (UK) CIC

Herts Schools Outreach are looking for a volunteer to help them manage the social media aspects of their organisation. The role of Social Media Marketer would be to assist the Communications and Marketing manager to promote the activities of the organisation, and to raise brand awareness for HSO on various social media platforms. This role would be perfect for a new graduate or someone who has a background in marketing looking to gain further experience in this area. 

Apply here.

Volunteers for Canoe World Championship.

ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help in showcasing the world's best canoe slalom athletes competing at the Lee Valley White Water Centre, between 18 - 24 September 2023. There are a range of volunteer roles available across the event, both pre-event and during competition. You don’t need to be an expert about canoe slalom, or have even volunteered before, there will be a role to suit you. Lee Valley White Water Centre is renowned across the globe as one of the best white-water courses in the world and in 2023 will play host to around 300 of the world's best athletes from across 50 countries as they battle it out across a week of high-octane competition. For more information visit: https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/lee-valley/white-water-centre

If interested , please email volunteer@communities1st.org.uk

Retail Shop Volunteer with Keech Hospice Care

Keech Hospice Care are looking for volunteers who have some time to spare providing retail support in their shops throughout Hertfordshire. Training will be provided. This job is suitable for a variety of age groups, as well as 16 to 17 year olds. Your role would be to welcome and assist customers in the shop, promote understanding of the work Keech Hospice Care provides, helping to sort and display stock and much more. You can find out more using the link below. 

Apply here.

Drop In Volunteers with Centre 33 St Albans

Centre 33 are looking for volunteers to assist them at their drop in centres. These centres provide an opportunity for those who are homeless, sofa-surfing, otherwise in unsecure accommodation, and those who are in accommodation but have difficulties in coping, to get a warm meal, a hot shower, some supplies and a space to meet others. Both of the spaces they need volunteers to help at are in are in St Albans. These drop in centres are run entirely by volunteers, and both day and evening sessions are managed by a team leader. This role could see you cooking and serving meals, cleaning up at the end of the session, chatting with attendees and full training will be provided. You can read more about this opportunity using the link below. 

Apply here.

Volunteer Transport Escort (Dacorum area) with Age UK Hertfordshire

Age UK is looking for some volunteers who can help with escorting participants of their Young at Heart sessions from their homes to the day care centre, and back home again. This role would see you helping people on and off the minibus, and sitting with them in the bus during the journey, making sure they are happy and supported. Accessing these day centre activities is a vital part of keeping social and active for Age UK clients, and you would be helping them to access this service. Chatty and friendly people would particularly enjoy this role. 

Apply here.

Admin Volunteer with MIND in Mid Herts

Do you have some admin experience and skills which you think could help Mind in Mid Herts' team to deliver their service? This organisation is looking for volunteers to help them with tasks such as filling out forms, writing and sending letters, answering the phone and taking messages, managing emails and much more. You can read more abut the role and register your interest by clicking the link below. 

Apply here.

Audio Programme Producer with St Albans & District Talking Newspaper

St Albans & District Talking Newspaper creates an audio programme designed for those in the St Albans & District whose visual impairment puts them at risk of being excluded from what is happening around their local community. They are seeking an additional producer to provide backup or to job- share with existing producers. The task is to follow a programme template creatively, drawing on an established team of readers and guests to record, create and deliver an audio programme that is of value to their listeners. They are looking for someone who has either relevant experience or a creative instinct or a love of radio.

Apply here.

Shop Volunteers - St Albans (Victoria Street) with Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care

Our friendly, busy shop in Victoria Street, St Albans is seeking volunteers. You will be working as part of a team, under the guidance and direction of the retail manager and retail assistant manager. Retail volunteers help in many varied tasks including selecting goods from those donated, preparing and pricing, using the till and providing a cheerful and helpful service to customers and callers. We will work with the time you have to give - Mondays to Saturdays.         

Apply here.

Treasurer for Windrush Jazz Appreciation Society.

As a small not-for-profit group with a big vision, this role is a fantastic opportunity for anyone who enjoys helping a small organisation grow and improve. This will be a home-based role for a minimum of 3 hours a month, 3 management committee meetings and an Annual General Meeting annually (to be agreed). The hours are flexible to suit you and your commitments. Access to the internet and a telephone/mobile phone is essential.                   

Apply here.

Treasurer with Future Living Hertford

Future Living Hertford are looking for a treasurer who will be able to maintain an overview of the organisation’s financial affairs, ensuring its viability and ensuring that proper financial records and procedures are maintained. You can click the link below to find the full details of the role.

Apply here.

Trustee with St Albans Shopmobility

Shopmobility are looking for a Trustee to join their team. The overall role of the Shopmobility Trustees is to contribute to the development of strategy, using skills and knowledge from their areas of expertise. They must also have a commitment to the Shopmobility ethos, museum and values, and act as a “Champion” on behalf of Shopmobility. The role of a Trustee may appeal to people from various backgrounds, with an interest in working as a member of a team as a committee member. Shopmobility is looking for people with experience in Finance and Accounting, Fundraising, Business Development, Social Care or Leadership and Management.

Apply here.

Volunteer Drivers with Barbara Bus Fund

The Barbara Bus Fund provides a wheelchair accessible community transport service for wheelchair users who are unable to transfer and travel in a standard car seat, and relies on volunteer drivers to assist their passengers. The role is flexible and based from the RNOH at Stanmore. The only requirements are that you like driving, over 25 years and have no more than 6 penalty points. You will also need to complete a DBS check.

Apply here.

Minibus Driver/Transportation with Herts Vision Loss

Herts Vision Loss are looking for volunteers with an empathetic nature who enjoys company and has a current driving licence to help them with transporting some of their service users. They are looking for regular or occasional drivers for transportation of visually impaired people at the request of the charity. Minibus drivers for outings/trips. Minibus drivers must be over 21 and no specific driving qualification is required as the post is a volunteer role.

Apply here.

Retail Van Driver with Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care

Rennie Grove Peace Hospice are looking for volunteers who could drive their retail van to collect and deliver goods to the Berkhamsted distribution centre. This work is an essential aspect to their fundraising efforts and will give you an opportunity to contribute and help them raise the funds they need to deliver their service. 
For this role you will need to have a full driving licence and have had experience driving a transit van or similar type vehicle, as well as the ability to carry and move heavy stock. 

Apply here.

NHS International Recruit Buddy with Communities 1st

Would you like the opportunity to give something back to the NHS? Why not become a volunteer buddy for newly arriving international NHS recruits? We have opportunities throughout Hertfordshire. Your role would be to welcome your buddy after they arrive in the UK, showing them around their local area, helping them to navigate public transport and look for accommodation. The purpose of this role is to make sure the new recruit feels supported as they get used to their new job and new area, and that they have an opportunity to make a new friend.

Apply here.

Handyperson     

Communities 1st deliver a Handy Person Service designed to help those 60+ or on benefits, living in Hertsmere and St Albans & District to help with tasks they are unable to carry out themselves. We are looking for Handy Person Volunteers to help us help our community. We ask volunteers to undertake various light practical duties that may include changing lightbulbs, moving furniture and shopping for materials etc. We are a busy service and are looking for some friendly and caring volunteers to help fulfil demand. We can offer flexible hours, which suit both you and our clients’ needs. If you have a few hours to spare and would enjoy doing a bit of DIY whilst helping people who would really struggle to manage it themselves, please give us a call to discuss this opportunity further.

Apply here.

International NHS Recruit Minibus Drivers

Communities 1st are looking for minibus drivers to help us deliver our day trip service to newly arrived international NHS recruits. We ask drivers to take one of our minibuses to pick up the participants, drive them to the location of the trip, and then pick them up again and return them. These day trips run both in the week as well as weekends so there will be a trip to suit your availability. These day trips can be local, to places like St Albans and Watford, or to places further afield like Southend on Sea, Cambridge and London. If you have some free time, enjoy meeting new people and love driving to tourist locations, please click the below link to register your interest.

Apply here.

Number Ninjas

The Multiply project aims to improve people's numeracy skills by offering maths-boosting sessions. On topics such as basic numeracy, Shopping on a Budget, and Family Budget, these sessions will help people in their everyday lives. We are looking for volunteers to become Number Ninjas.

Number Ninjas will help us:

• Identify the learning needs of local residents
• Engage and refer suitable candidates for tailored tutoring support.

Apply here.