VOLUNTEER COLUMN: Find out how you can get involved and make a difference

For more about Volunteer Now! on their website - www.do-it.org

Have a look at the roles below or find lots more at www.do-it.org.

Service delivery volunteer – Victim Support

Have you got what it takes to help ensure victims and witnesses are given the support they need and the respect they deserve?

Many people face the effects of crime alone and confused.

Your support helps individuals and their families to feel stronger, understood and able to move forward with their lives.

Tasks will include: contacting people who have been victims of crime, either over the phone, at the victim’s home or another mutually agreed location; helping people explore how their experience of crime has affected their lives and identifying ways to enable them to recover from the experience; and working with people to identify their individual needs and helping them to choose options they feel are right for them.

Adviser (Littlehampton Centre) – Citizens Advice Arun & Chichester

Citizens Advice Arun & Chichester offers free, confidential information and advice on: debt, housing, welfare benefits, employment, consumer problems, family issues, legal issues and many other areas.

Their generalist advice service looks at a client’s situation holistically as opposed to looking at their problems in isolation from one another.

Advisers are given free training, both formal and on-the-job.

All advisers initially undertake the Gateway training and progress from there.

As an adviser you would: interview clients, help them negotiate with people such as creditors or service providers, draft letters, make phone calls on their behalf or refer them to other agencies.

Volunteer employment training education worker – Change, Grow, Live (CGL) (West Sussex Drug & Alcohol Wellbeing Network)

Change, Grow, Live (CGL) is a social care and health charity that supports and enables people to change their lives for the better and achieve positive and life-affirming goals.

Service users are adults, young people and families whose lives are affected by substance misuse, homelessness, poverty, unemployment, domestic abuse, mental health issues and offending.

They are looking for volunteers to help to increase the employment prospects of CGL service users, by providing information advice and guidance on education, training and employment opportunities.

Play area volunteer – HM Prison Ford

Volunteers are required to supervise and provide interesting/appropriate activities for visiting children within the play area of the social visits hall of the prison.

Activities include playing with toys and use of craft materials.

Visits are on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 2pm to 4pm, plus half hour either side, with a total commitment of three hours per session.

Volunteers can commit to one or more sessions, ideally once a fortnight.

Experience of working/being with children in a family environment (aged from one to 14) would be useful but training will be given

Must enjoy a challenge, be non-judgemental, friendly, approachable, enthusiastic, and reliable and have a sense of humour.

• For more information on any of the above roles, please call Volunteer Now! on 01243 864220, or visit www.do-it.org. For bite-sized volunteering of ten days or less please visit skillshare-westsussex.org.uk

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