Volunteering England doesn't directly place volunteers, so if you want to volunteer in health and social care settings you will need to approach individual organisations. There are several ways of doing this which include:
- approaching your local NHS Trust and asking for the Voluntary Services Manager
- approaching your local Volunteer Centre (details available on volunteer centre finder on the Volunteer England home page), who will know of local volunteering opportunities, including health and social care
- searching the do-it website at www.do-it.org.uk where you can search by postcode and type of volunteering role
- please be aware that for any form of health and social care volunteering you will have to provide references and may have to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau check, so allow some time for this before you start volunteering
The following organisations may also be able to advise you on potential volunteering opportunities:
St John Ambulance exists to promote First Aid medical support services and caring services in support of community needs and education, training and development to young people. It has over 45,000 members, well over half of whom are under 18 and two youth groups: Badgers for 5-10 year olds and Cadets for 10-18 year olds.
Call 0207 324 4000 for details of your local branch
www.sja.org.uk/
Volunteering opportunities are available at many hospitals and GP surgeries. Some national organisations co-ordinate volunteering within the health service. Contact your local hospital or surgery for details.
Hospice Information Service, from St Christopher's and Help the Hospices, is a worldwide resource for health professionals and members of the public who are caring for someone with life threatening illness. It can provide details of hospices and palliative care services, most of which use volunteers.
Tel: 0870 903 3903
E-mail: info@hospiceinformation.info
www.hospiceinformation.info/
The British Red Cross gives skilled and impartial care to people in need and crisis - in their homes and in the community, at home and abroad, in peace and war. In the UK the British Red Cross' primary purpose is to support statutory services, by providing care in crisis situations. Volunteer roles range from working alongside the emergency services to providing assistance for sick and disabled people.
Contact: The Volunteering Department - 020 7201 5164
E-mail: fmacleod@redcross.org.uk
www.redcross.org.uk/
WRVS is Britain's largest active volunteering organisation with around 120,000 members - 15% of whom are men. The work with the private and public sectors to make a real difference at the grass roots level - by making someone else's day better in simple and practical ways. Their wide range of services includes Meals on Wheels, emergency services, lunch clubs and community support services.
Tel: 0845 601 4670
www.wrvs.org.uk/
The Samaritans provide confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week to those who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair,including those which may lead to suicide. The Samaritans has nearly 20,000 volunteers across the UK and needs more volunteers to maintain this service. There are opportunities for people interested in becoming listening or fundraising volunteers and there may be other ways to help depending on your local Branch.
Tel: 08705 627282
or look up your local group in the telephone directory.
www.samaritans.org
DIAL UK promotes the independence of people with disabilities by supporting a network of local disability information and advice services, which are run by disabled people. Volunteer roles include: clerical, admin and advice work across the UK.
Tel: 01302 310 123
E-mail: enquiries@dialuk.org.uk
www.dialuk.info/
Childline is a free, national, 24-hour confidential telephone helpline for children and young people in trouble or distress. Volunteer roles include help with fundraising, administration and work as counsellors. Full training and supervision is provided. Selection is by interview. Counsellors are required to offer a weekly 4-hour counselling shift.
Volunteer recruitment hotline: 0870 336 2993
www.childline.org.uk
Attend (formerly The National Association of Hospital and Community Friends) There around 150,000 volunteers working in 800 groups, giving 20 million hours and raising £24 million for the benefit of patients. Traditionally working in hospitals, these groups are now responding to changing healthcare needs by setting up projects to support patients and carers in the community.
Tel: 0845 450 0285
www.attend.org.uk/
Hospital radio involves around 11000 volunteers of all ages throughout the UK. Take a look at the Hospital Broadcasting Association web site for more details.
www.hbauk.co.uk/public/
Mind, the Mental Health Charity offers a mental health telephone information service. Volunteers who are able to come to our offices in Stratford, East London (on the Central Line) are needed to work on this telephone line. Full training is provided on all aspects of mental health information.
www.mind.org.uk
Macmillan Cancer Relief helps over 200,000 new people with cancer and their families throughout the UK. Volunteers can: help raise funds, staff telephone lines, support people with cancer and do administrative work.
www.macmillan.org.uk/
Vitalise (formerly the Winged Fellowship Trust)
provides volunteering opportunities to help people with disabilities have enjoyable holidays.
www.wft.org.uk/ Cancer Research UK was formed as a result of the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and Imperial Cancer Research Fund. They are now the largest volunteer-supported cancer research organisation in the world. Cancer Research UK aims to:
- cure cancer patients faster
- cut numbers of people getting cancer
- bring better treatments to cancer patients
- train more cancer doctors, nurses and scientists for research
- be the authoritative source of information on cancer
- maximise resources available for cancer research
Offer a variety of volunteering opportunities including work in their shops, offices or in fundraising or events. Provide full training and support to volunteers. Cancer Research UK is a diverse organisation, which welcomes volunteers from all ethnic groups.
If you are interested in helping please
email: volunteering@cancer.org.uk
Tel: 0207 0098664
www.cancerresearchuk.org/volunteering
Rehab UK's work involves the vocational rehabilitation of people of all ages and backgrounds, who have suffered an acquired brain injury (ABI) and are now eager to return to employment. Their programme comprises of IT study (leading to CLAIT qualification), developing basic skills and social awareness, compiling CVs, making job applications and travelling to and from work-placements. They are very keen to acquire committed and regular volunteers who have an empathy for and working awareness with disability, are effective communicators, ethnically aware, mature, patient, understanding and responsible. Volunteers must have a minimum age of 18 and be able to commit to 3 hours per week (daytime), for at least 6 months.
For further information please contact Volunteer Co-ordinator, Jonathan Smallman, on
Tel: 020 7378 3516
E-mail: jonathansmallman@rehabuk.org
or Operations Manager, Behjat Hurren, on
Tel: 020 7378 0505
Home-Start is a thirty two-year old national charity that recruits and trains volunteers who support families with children under five by visiting them in their own homes. They visit families for a couple of hours each week, for anything from a couple of months to a number of years, in situations as varied as isolation, physical or mental illness, poverty, bereavement, multiple births, or simply finding parenthood difficult to cope with. Home-Start currently has 11,000 home-visiting volunteers supporting 31,000 families and 68,000 children through 337 local schemes across the UK. In some of Home-Start's Schemes, volunteers also run family groups, day trips and parties, but these are outside our core work of visiting families in their homes.
For your nearest Home-Start scheme, to volunteer, or to donate, phone free on :
Tel: 0800 068 63 68
www.home-start.org.uk/
