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

IT Volunteers needed

GATEWAY, a social club for people with special needs, is looking for

volunteers to come along (from

September) to pass on basic

computer skills to some of their

members.

Gateway have been successful in  obtaining a grant to purchase laptops, printer, scanner etc. and would like to be able to include this in their autumn/winter programme.

Please contact Haverhill Volunteer Centre for more details.

 

Are you interested in becoming a

volunteer Youthworker                               Or are you an existing volunteer wanting

                     wanting to be formally trained?

                   And receive a bursary of up to £600

                         to cover your training costs?

The training starts on 21st September 2010 in

Bury St Edmunds and lasts for 7 evenings.

Once qualified, all we ask is that you continue to volunteer for an average of 2 hours per week for 2 years.

Interested? 

Contact Gordon Mussett at the Arts Centre for more details

Arts Centre: 01440 712858

 

MAGPAS-First Responders

YOU

CAN SAVE A LIFE!

Be a First Responder in Haverhill

         Magpas – Community First Responder Scheme                                      Haverhill

Over 4,000 people in Haverhill have benefited from the First Responder Scheme since we went live in 2002.  We are immensely proud of the service we are able to provide to our local community.  It is life changing, both for us and for our casualty.  So why not consider joining us.

Community Responders are unpaid volunteers who train to attend life-threatening 999 medical emergencies for the ambulance service within their local area. You do not need to have a medical background.  To become a Responder you would need to have basic first aid skills, a Criminal Record Bureau clearance and a willingness to give up a little of your time to Respond and to attend further training sessions.  Once this is in place, you would receive further training through the medical emergency charity Magpas, who manage all the schemes in Cambridgeshire and provide our clinical governance, training and administration. 

So why become a Responder ? 

You will be part of a friendly, cohesive and inter-supporting team You will learn important life skills You will help to save lives in your local community If you are currently unemployed, it will raise your self esteem It will give a structure and purpose to your life It may help you to get employment It is highly flexible in terms of your commitment It is immensely satisfying and rewarding It is challenging and provides opportunity for greater learning

Saving a life is life changing – if you would like to join us, or to have more information, please email me on margaret.marks@talktalk.net, telephone me on 01440 713443 or write to me at Walnut Brook, Withersfield Road, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 7RN.  You may also visit the Magpas website on www.Magpas.org.uk.

I hope to hear from you

Margaret Marks

CFRS Haverhill


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 / Passenger 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 families or single parents needed



Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

New volunteers to join the Haverhill CAB branch are always welcome

 

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

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

* Victim Support (Haverhill) is in urgent need for new volunteers.(Training provided)

* 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.

* 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.