The Volunteer Centre maintains a database of detailed information on local groups and volunteer opportunities.
We do our best to match a volunteer's skills, interests and availability with appropriate opportunities.
Challenge
Volunteering can, and should be, an enriching experience for the volunteer. It can bring new challenges, build self confidence and bring a real sense of achievement.
Work experience
By volunteering you can show potential employers that you are motivated and reliable. Volunteering offers a chance to brush up on old skills and perhaps learn new ones.
Volunteering offers the chance to gain an up to date reference.
Social contact and companionship
Volunteering offers the opportunity to make new friends – both with those you are helping and with your fellow volunteers. Volunteering gives you the chance to understand the difficulties that others face and to contribute to the welfare of your community.
LOCAL VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
Family Visitors
Volunteer visitors support families in the community by visiting them on a regular basis. There are many reasons for needing a visitor, a young Parent may need help with confidence building as they adapt to life with a small baby or child. They might be needed as an extra pair of hands for an outing with a family with twins or triplets, or to provide a listening ear to a mum suffering from postnatal depression.
We offer training to volunteers,who are interested in visiting, in child protection, listening skills, confidentiality, and first aid.
Ongoing support & training provided.
Visiting Elderly/Disabled
Volunteers visit their client once a week or fortnightly. This can be an elderly person, someone housebound or disabled. Befriending can vary in many ways – from having a coffee and a chat, sharing a joint interest, going shopping, or visiting in a residential home.
Gardening Project
We receive calls from elderly and disabled residents needing help with their gardens, grass cutting, pruning bushes, hedges and general gardening. Most of the clients have their own tools, we have a limited supply of equipment.
Conservation Work
If you want to get outdoors and do something useful to help your local environment, then join the Conservation Volunteers at East Town Park/Railway Walk or the Go Wild Project.
Youth Work
We have volunteering opportunities working with Youth Clubs, After School clubs and organised Clubs such as Brownies, Guides, Cubs etc.., all volunteers working with young people are required to have a Criminal Record Bureau check organised free of charge by the Volunteer Centre.
General Volunteering
Volunteers are needed by:
• Elderly people
• People with disabilities
• Lonely or isolated people
• Young people
• Families
• Local voluntary and community organisations
URGENT - URGENT - URGENT - URGENT - URGENT
HAVERHILL VOLUNTEER CENTRE IS URGENTLY SEEKING VOLUNTEER GARDENERS for 2009 to help with basic gardening i.e. cutting grass, trimming hedges and weeding etc. for the elderly and disabled. Please contact the centre for more information.
Please contact the Volunteer Centre
MAGPAS-First Responders
YOU
CAN SAVE A LIFE!
Be a First Responder in Haverhill
The aim of First Responders is to get SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE, LIFE SAVING INTERVENTIONS to seriously ill patients in the few minutes before the ambulance can arrive.
You don’t need any medical background to become a Community First Responder. We supply all of the training. First Responders will not be called to dangerous incidents such as road traffic accidents.
Full training will be provided.
Please contact MAGPAS on info@magpas.org.uk
or Haverhill Volunteer Centre on (01440) 708 444 or info@hvc.org.uk
Haverhill Volunteer Centre
Volunteers are needed to help in many different ways.
1-2-1 Mentors to support volunteers with ill mental health or learning disabilities in their volunteering role. Training & support provided
* Drivers / Passanger Assistants – to take people to hospital appointments or visit relatives in hospital
* Odd Jobs – generally mending and fixing
* Volunteers are needed to escort elderly around town shopping (use of own car in most cases necessary)
* Visitors/Buddies urgently needed (for 1-2 hrs a week) and Shoppers for the elderly or disabled
* Supporters and Visitors for young families or single parents needed
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
New volunteers to join the Haverhill CAB branch are always welcome
Shopmobility
The Shopmobility Scheme loans scooters, powered chairs & manual wheelchairs to people who may have difficulty walking around the town and shops and visiting the attractions in Haverhill. The service is based at the Borough Council’s offices in Lower Downs Slade, and operated by 3CT.
Volunteers are needed to support the co-ordinator by covering the telephone, taking bookings and handing over scooters to service users including a demonstration on the safe usage for new members. Training will be provided. Any time given is very much appreciated.
Please contact:
Haverhill Volunteer Centre on: 01440-708 444
or email info@hvc.org.uk
Suffolk Befriending Scheme
SBS promotes fulfilling relationships between people with learning disabilities and volunteer 'friends'. Linked 'friends' spend time together doing things they both enjoy like having a cup of coffee and a chat, going for a swim or shopping, visit new places and enjoying new experiences - probably the same things you do with your friends!
Could you spare as little as an hour a week?
Doing things that we take for granted like meeting for a chat and a coffee will make a huge difference to the life of a person who is isolated from their community by learning disabilities.
We are looking for volunteer befrienders from all over Suffolk.
All volunteers are offered training and full support. Travel and out of pocket expenses are reimbursed.
Interested and want to know more?
Tracey Barker on 01284 724293 or
Julia Harrington on 01787 371333
Email: info @suffolkbefriendingscheme.org.uk
Suffolk Family Carers Telephone Befriending Project
If the answer is 'YES' to most of this questions then you could be one of those special people we are looking for.
Family Carers can become very isolated and lonely, so this service is very important for them - you could be the only person, outside the home, that they have spoken to all day.
This is a voluntary role and would involve ringing your appointed Family Carer once a week for anything between 20-30 minutes for a friendly chat about shared interests.
All applicants will be interviewed, you will need a Criminal Record Bureau check and training will be given. We will pay the cost of your telephone calls and out-of-pocket expenses. There will be continual support for the Telephone Befrienders.
If you are interested please ring Margery Ward
on 01284 757 798
OUT-AND-ABOUT
It's not just kids who have fun!
We enable disabled children and young people aged 5-19 to have fun by taking part in a wide range of activities such as cinema, clubs, art, pubs, bowling, sports, swimming, cubs, brownies etc.
Can I be a volunteer?
Volunteers are aged from 16 to 70! They also have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Everyone has something to bring-experience is not as important as a positive attitude towards disability-and the desire to have fun!
What is in it for me?
It's really easy to find out more:
3Counties Transport (3CT)
We are a local Community Transport group for Haverhill and surrounding villages. We operate a morning Dial-a-Ride service from Monday to Friday and we provide minibuses for local groups. Our community car drivers transport people to shops, appointments or to visit friends.
We could not operate without our volunteers - their involvement in running this service is vital.
Anybody interested in becoming a driver or a passenger assistant or would like to find out more about volunteering for 3CT can contact HVC or Lyn on 01440 712028 or email
lyn.burgess@et.suffolkcc.gov.uk
POSITIVE FUTURES
Various activitieas - football,dancing, youth work.
Volunteers needed to help on a Friday evening starting 12.05.07 (for 20 weeks) 8pm-10pm at the Haverhill Leisure Centre (CRB check required)
The Salvation Army in Haverhill manage a Community Shop and Resource centre on the Clements estate in the town. This is a very worthwhile project that aims to work with local people and provide an invaluable service to those living in the town, and particularly on the Clements estate. The project has been running now for over 3½ years and has stayed the course and really is a part of the local community. One of the services that the shop offers is second hand furniture, because there is a real lack of choices within the town that is affordable. However, in recent months there has been a difficulty in collecting and delivering furniture, due to the fact that volunteers has sold cars with tow bars. The shop owns a lovely trailer that is perfect for collecting and delivering, and we are looking for someone, or a few people with a tow bar who could give about an hour week to help in this regard. If you have a car with a towbar, and would be willing to give one hour each week to this excellent cause, then please call 01440 714885, or 01440705247 or email haverhill.corps@salvationarmy.org.uk
Many Thanks.
Stuart Ashman, Salvation Army, Haverhill
British Heart Foundation
Volunteers needed.....
The BHF shop Haverhill urgently needs new volunteers to help with the day to day running of its branch.
What we need:
What we can offer you:
We look forward seeing you soon.
BHF shop, 28a High Street, Haverhill, CB9 8AR
Tel: 01440 70245
www.crimeconcern.org.uk
www.safer-community.net
Crime Concern are looking for volunteers to help with our projects that are developing fast county wide. Crime Concern's mission is to work with local people, community groups and crime and disorder agencies to reduce crime and create enviroments where everyone can lead their lives free from fear and intimdation.
In Suffolk we are running various projects -
Crime Concern is currently setting up a mentoring project where volunteer mentors work with Young People aged 14-18 who are involved with the Youth Justice System. The aim of the project is for mentors to help and support young people getting into education and employment.
The minimum age for the mentors is 16 and a CRB check is required, training and supervision will be provided.
Full training, a supportive enviroment and friendly team are on offer, if you are interested in talking to us about volunteering opportunities within Crime Concern please contact Margaret Miles, Service Manager on 01284 352383 for further information.
Helpers needed for pre-school group with special needs children
Volunteers are needed to play with children and to meet mums, volunteer needed to help with refreshments
Tuesdays 1:30 -3:00 CRB check needed (will be arranged through HVC with no cost to registered volunteers)
*Salvation Army
Is in desperate need of someone who is willing to tow their trailer for collections and deliveries. The volunteer would use his/her own vehicle (with a towbar), milage is paid and it will take about 1 hour per week.
Please contact Captain Stuart Ashman on 01440 705247 or Email: haverhill.corps@salvationarmy.org.uk
* West Suffolk Voluntary Association for the Blind (WSVAB) is looking for people who will help with fundraising activities and events.
*Visitor needed for female resident at Eastcotts Residential Home
* Volunteers to go to East Town Park, Haverhill to support volunteers (conservation) with learning difficulties.
* Salvation Army (Luncheon Club) Helpers needed for activities (board games, cards etc.) with elderly.
Mondays 10 – 3pm
* 3CT (Dial-a-Ride) Drivers needed for wheelchair carrying car and minibus. MIDAS training will be provided. Escorts urgently needed on the minibus transport around town and for outings.
* Charity Shops Shop Assistants urgently needed to help in many different ways. Sorting and pricing, dealing with customers, arranging stock and window displays and more.
* CAB Volunteers are needed to support staff and other volunteers with basic office work i.e. filing, shredding etc.but also with making coffee/tea for advisers and/or clients, Advisers (in house training provided) and Committee members.
* Suffolk Befriending Scheme—APT Centre (A Place to Talk)Offering many social activities, advice, opportunities for learning and respite for carers to people with learning disabilities. Volunteer helpers always welcome Fridays 10:00am to 12:30pm
* Various Charities Committee Members urgently needed, secretaries etc. Meetings usually once a month.
* Victim Support (Haverhill) is in urgent need for new volunteers.(Training provided)
* Salvation Army Community Shop Volunteers are needed to help with the running of the Charity shop (sorting, pricing, dealing with customers etc.) and coffee room (making tea/coffee)
* Greenfield Day Centre (Age Concern) Volunteer/s urgently needed to help with getting the room ready for service users, i.e. moving chairs & tables etc. the time to be covered is 8:30am to 4:30pm and can be shared by 2 volunteers, volunteers to help with refreshments and generally socialising. Wednesdays 8:30am to 4:30pm any time given is very much appreciated
* Conservation Volunteers East Town Park & Railway Walk
If you want to get outdoors and do something useful to help the local environment, then join the Conservation Volunteers!
* WRVS (Meals on Wheels) Helpers are required to deliver Meals on Wheels in Haverhill.
