VOLUNTEER COLUMN: Get involved and make a difference in the community

Ford Prison are looking for play area volunteers

Independent non-executive director for board – Healthwatch West Sussex

Healthwatch West Sussex is the established consumer champion for health and social care in West Sussex.

At a local level, Healthwatch works to help people get the best out of their health and social care services, whether it’s improving them today or helping to shape them for tomorrow.

Healthwatch West Sussex is all about local voices being able to influence the delivery and design of services.

They are seeking someone who has leadership skills and aptitude to operate at board level.

The board are seeking to appoint a person with senior management experience possibly with a social enterprise, advocacy, voluntary sector or health and social care background.

You may have acquired relevant experience (such as leadership and governance) in a range of formal and informal environments; whatever your background it is essential that you have a passion for improving health and social care services and a genuine commitment to engaging all sections of the community.

Support at Home – British Red Cross Kent and Sussex

The British Red Cross helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are.

In the UK, their health and social care work offers valuable time-limited support for individuals vulnerable to crisis.

From people recovering from illness, surgery or an accident, to struggling with a life-changing event, Support at Home volunteers enable people to live as independently as they can at home, building trusting relationships and helping them to regain their confidence and well-being.

Working closely with health and social services colleagues, volunteers can make the difference in preventing an admission to hospital or supporting a timely discharge home.

You will need to have good interpersonal, diplomacy, communication and teamwork skills but full training can be given for any necessary technical requirements.

Play area volunteer – HM Prison Ford

HM Prison Ford aims to promote positive play-based interactions for children visiting imprisoned relatives, especially fathers.

They also provide a safe and attractive play environment for children to stay in while adults have time together and give the children opportunities to create cards and gifts for their imprisoned relative.

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.

The play area is set out in a welcoming and attractive way and volunteers greet and talk with the children and their parents.

Activities may include playing with toys and the use of craft materials and so on.

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

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

Volunteer youth worker – Project 82

Project 82 provides an Information Shop for young people aged 13-25 offering advice, support, information and mentoring in a non-judgemental and empowering way; covering issues such as sexual health, mental wellbeing, alcohol, drugs, housing and homelessness, family and relationships, leisure and travel, volunteering, education, employment and training, money and debt, justice and equality, legal rights and advocacy.

Volunteers are needed to support the youth work programmes which seek to meet the social, educational, recreational and developmental needs of young people.

Tasks might include: helping to plan, deliver and monitor programmes with colleagues and young people; supporting the use and development of the IT resources and information shop; building effective, appropriate relationships with young people; and participating fully in staff meetings, supervision and training as appropriate.

• 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 http://skillshare-westsussex.org.uk/

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