Volunteering

The volunteer programme within East London Foundation Trust is just completing it's first year with Ann Lacey as our Volunteer Coordinator.  A range of new roles are constantly being developed and the roles given below are a mixture of some existing vacancies and some new ones for 2012.

If you are interested in any of these volunteering opportunities please contact Ann Lacey (details below) who will be pleased to send you further details and an application pack. 

Please be advised that for all of our volunteering opportunities there is some compulsory training which would involve attendance for 2.5 days.  The application pack will give more information.  Training must be completed before a volunteering role can be started.  There is also some additional training for certain roles and details of any additional requirements will be shown on the role description that will be sent to you.

Volunteer OT Support - Gardening Group - SHCMHT - do you have an interest in gardening for pleasure and for growing food.  In this case you may be interested in supporting one of our groups of service users who are part of a gardening group to social inclusion and interaction working towards recovery.  This group is supporting an OT on Wednesday afternoons in the Cambridge Heath area.

Volunteer OT Support - Creative Arts - Mile End - do you have skills in various arts and crafts, sewing and art.  We are seeking a volunteer to assist our OTs with groups of inpatients based at Mile End Hospital to take part in a variety of arts and crafts sessions.  Why not pass on your skills?

Volunteer Physiotherapist Support - Learning Disabilities.  We are able to offer a few more places to volunteers in this role supporting clients with learning disabilities in fitness groups - including trampolining.

Meet and Greet Volunteers - Alcohol Recovery Centre - we are seeking a team of volunteers to meet and greet service users who attend the ARC in Hackney.  Volunteers will encourage service users to use the facilities and sit a chat to encourage social interaction.  Opportunity for observing assessments and attending meetings for those who are interested on quieter days. 

OT Support - Newham  - we are seeking to expand our volunteer team within inpatient services in the mental health unit based at Newham hospital.  Volunteers assist in the evenings - between 5pm and 7pm - talking to inpatients, joining in and motivating them to join in activities and support the Occupational Therapists with their group activities.  Please note punctuality is essential for this role - there is a need to be at Newham by 5pm.

Volunteer Walk Leaders - are you interested in walking for fitness and pleasure.  We are setting up a new programme of walking groups to encourage service users to walk to aid recovery.  The groups will meet between May to October and will undertake weekly walks around various parts of London - parks, riverside walks etc.  Full training will be given on becoming a walk leader.

Volunteer Accompanist for Older People's Services - we are seeking a volunteer to accompany on the keyboard patients at their multi denomination faith and fellowship group on Wednesday morning in East Ham Activity Centre.  Is this something that you would like to be involved in?

Events Support Volunteers - are you interested in assisting the general public, our service users at a range of special events.  The roles would include stewarding, registration of attendees, and generally helping organising the event.  These events are held fairly regularly but would not require a weekly commitment.  Would this flexibility in volunteering suit you better than a regular weekly attendance?

Volunteer Service User Support (Pritchard Road) - we are seeking volunteers to help in a busy centre supporting mental health service users to run a cafe or a charity shop or to undertake some gardening.  Do you have relevant experience and feel you can use your skills to assist service users to gain experience then please contact us.

Occupational Therapist Support - Older People's Services - Tai Chi - Are you qualified in Tai Chi?  Our older people's services are seeking a replacement volunteer to provide this activity with our older inpatients based at Mile End.  It has been very popular in the past - and would be a chair based version.

Building Bridges Family Support Unit - roles have been developed to assist the Family Action - Building Bridges Team.  The roles are to assist with family groups where one of the parent's are coping with mental ill health.  The roles are:-  Exercise Group- this involves supporting women only in a swimming group on a weekly basis.  the majority of participants are Bengali or Bangladeshi and so language skills for these groups would be helpful but not essential.  The role also encourages general fitness and exercise.  School Holiday Activities - this role involves supporting parents and children in a range of activities held during school holidays.  Activities may include visits to the park, cinema, bowling - in general family outings.  

Lee House -  exciting roles have been developed to assist service users who attend this vibrant building with regard to supporting tutors to help with teaching skills to enhance employability for the service users involved.  Catering - to assist the tutor in teaching a variety of catering skills within the small cafe on the premises.  Horticulture - to support the tutors in the extensive gardens and greenhouses with training in a range of horticultural skills.  IT Support - to support the IT tutor assist service users with their learning of a range of IT skills.

Full training for all of these roles is provided, travel expenses are paid, certificates of attendance and references can be supplied.

Our next training programme is on 28th, 29th and 30th March - all three days to be attended.

If you are interested in any of the above volunteer opportunities please contact our Volunteer Coordinator – Ann Lacey on 020 7655 4169 or email: ann.lacey@eastlondon.nhs.uk

 

Volunteering England

Provides information on all registered volunteering opportunities across the whole of the UK.  Visit their website at www.volunteeringengland.org.uk and you can find volunteering opportunities direct via Do-It or the details of you local Volunteer Centre where you can make an appointment to get advice regarding your volunteering.

Volunteering roles outside of the Trust

Newham NDP is looking for volunteers to get involved in a Good Neighbours scheme.  Good Neighbours provides practical, neigbourly help to residents in Newham who may be elderly or disabled and may be having problems with day to day tasks or just need someone to talk to.  Volunteering as a Good Neighbour is a great way to develop your skills, meet new people and make a real difference to the local community.  To become a Good Neighbour you will need to live, work or study in Newham.

If you are interested in Volunteering as a Good Neighbour or please contact the Good Neighbours office:
020 7474 6376 or
goodneighbours@newhamndp.co.uk