student volunteering

Harrogate Volunteer Centre

e: [email protected]

t: 01423 509004 www.harrogatevolunteercentre.org.uk

Volunteering OpportunitiesVolunteering OpportunitiesVolunteering OpportunitiesVolunteering Opportunities In Harrogate and Ripon

For Students 16+

Ripon Volunteer Centre

e: alana:@riponcvs.org.uk

t: 01765 603631 w: www.riponcvs.co.uk

Community House Sharow View Allhallowgate Ripon HG4 1LE

Community House 46-50 East Parade

Harrogate HG1 5RR

Why Volunteer?

Voluntary work can help you…. - improve existing skills - develop new skills and build self-confidence - enjoy a new challenge - get references for a college place or a job - improve your social life - beat boredom - do your bit to change something you feel strongly about

People start as volunteers for all sorts of reasons, but they all carry on for one reason only - they get something from it

themselves.

Some things to think about: What are you hoping to get out of volunteering? • In what ways do you think you could contribute - do you want to work directly with people or are you more practical?

• We all have skills, talents and interests. Do you want to build on things you are already interested in or develop new skills - e.g. sports, music, chatting, computers.

• How much time do you have? Do you want to do something regularly for a couple of hours a week over the next six months or so, or have you more time now, but won’t have any later on?

• If you want to work directly with people then you need to be able to commit to giving enough time regularly to allow you to develop a worthwhile relationship.

• It helps people who work with volunteers to know you’ve thought about these things in advance. . . . .

. . . . now start exploring the many possibilities!

What could you do?

Age UK Knaresborough & District (16+, though fundraisers welcome 14+) Contact: Lynne Sharrocks Tel: 01423 864956 Email: [email protected] Befriend or visit an older person in their own own home or in nursing or residential care. You may wish to make a regular arrangement with one individual, or perhaps occasional visiting when someone is in particular need might suit you better. They have also recently launched a new large shopping scheme, so you could be involved in shopping for older people – either going to do their shopping or accompanying them to the shops. Anchor, Ripon Contact: Eileen Mellor Tel: 01274 381600/ 07825403586 Email: [email protected] Befriending - Getting involved with older people, sharing time, skills and knowledge. The roles available are supporting personalised activities, friendships, and helping older people get out and about Examples might be:Reading newspapers/crosswords, supporting specific interest and hobbies of customers, help with correspondence or to write memoirs, buying presents for customers' family, short walks with individuals, accompanying customers on trips to shop etc. supporting customers with communication difficulties, manicures and beauty treatments. Activities tailored to customers with dementia. We are asking for a minimum of 2 hours per week over a 6 month period. The volunteer process is an online application http://www.anchor.org.uk/jobs/search-jobs/default Army Foundation College Youth Club Contact Pip Davitt Tel: 01423 501452 M: 07769885926 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Looking for an introduction to youth work/ work with children? We need helpers to help at the youth clubs run to support the families of people working at the Army Foundation College. The groups are:-Tuesdays, 4.00-5.45pm for Tweenies aged 5 -8, Tuesdays 6-7.30pm, and Mondays 6pm-8.30pm the seniors group for 13-15 year olds. Bilton Avalon Club (16+, though may take D of E at 14+) Contact: Maggie Harvey Tel: 01765 606490 / 01423 884819 Email: [email protected] Gateway Clubs provide leisure and recreation opportunities for adults with learning disabilities. Volunteers help with general club activities, under the guidance of a qualified leader. We organise a wide range of activities from playing pool and bingo, to crafts, indoor cricket, cooking, growing

The following pages will give you some ideas of what you could do as a volunteer. Have a look to see if anything appeals to you. Please note that most of these opportunities are suitable for young people over the age of 16. However, some organisations have other minimum age requirements and these are stated in the listings. You could also visit www.do-it.org.uk and conduct your own personal search for even more possibilities. Turn to the back cover of this booklet to find out what to do next.

things etc - you would have the opportunity to use your own initiative if you wanted to introduce new activites. The club meets on Thursday evenings between 7pm and 9.15pm in term time. Boroughbridge and District Community Care Contact: Dave Allon Tel: 01423 324504 Email: [email protected] Communicare are seeking volunteers to visit housebound clients on a regular basis. The organisation helps those within 6 miles radius of Boroughbridge. Flexible time commitment. Also seeking volunteers are required to help run a lunch club at Gwendolen Court, Southholme Walk, Boroughbridge every Wednesday between 11.30am and 1.15pm. You would need to help only once every 5 weeks and cover others sickness and holiday. British Thyroid Foundation Contact: Janis Hickey Tel:01423 709707 Email: [email protected] We are seeking a volunteer who can help with answering the telephone, giving out helpful information to enquirers and directing the calls. The role would also involve ringing a list of enquirers and some general admin and dat input. Like with many roles done in office hours students would need to take time out of their normal school day to come in to help. Carers Time Off Contact: Christine Boxall Tel: 01423 561061 Email: [email protected] Volunteer 'sitters' spend time in the home of a cared-for adult, enabling the carer to have some much needed time to themselves, and the person who is cared for the company of someone different. You could, for example, be asked to sit and offer company and conversation, make a drink or snack, play cards, dominoes or a game, watch TV, listen to music, read aloud a book or newspaper, offer company on a short walk. You would not be asked to do housework or nursing. Charity Shops There are lots of charity shops in the Harrogate area, if you are interested in helping in one of them – Contact the Volunteer Centre for further details (see front cover). Charity shops don’t just have to be for clothes – there are specialist ones for books, music, cards and Fairtrade, for example, if there is a particular area you have an interest in. Some shops are able to offer the opportuntiy to achieve an NVQ in retail. You could also be involved in putting goods online, or just the backroom sorting for recycling. Contact the Elderly Contact: Mary Robinson Tel: 01535 632592 Email: [email protected] Could you host a tea party for elderly people in your own home - once a year for up to 8 guests (plus 3 - 4 drivers)? Tea parties are held on Sundays from 3 - 5pm at a different host's home every month of the year. Disability Action (14+) Contact: Ange Brockett Tel: 01423 01423 855410 Email: [email protected] Make a difference and help us to be positive about disabled people! Enhance your retail and communication skills whilst working with disabled people in our new furniture enterprise. Opportunities for collection and delivery , cleaning and selling furniture. Minimum 4 hours per week.

Dog’s Trust (16+, though under 18s will need parental consent) Contact: Amanda Sands Tel: 0113 281 4920 Email: [email protected] We welcome volunteer dog walkers at Woodlands Farm (East Leeds). You can come occasionally or as often as you wish. We walk between 11am & 4pm Monday to Friday and 10.30am & 12noon at weekends. New volunteers are asked to attend a group induction on one Sunday morning at 10.30 before they become a regular walker. Follifoot Park Disabled Riders Group (15+) Contact – Wendy Thorburn Tel: 01423 509222 Email: [email protected] Freedom - the feeling when a wheelchair-bound person gets on to a horse! FPDRG want people with disabilities to be able to experience this and we need volunteers to help. You need never have ridden a horse before, what matters is that you want to help. Granby Rose Residential Care (16+) Contact Mishel Ingle Tel 01423 505533 Email: [email protected] During busy times, the carers have less time to spend assisting the residents with activities or being able to just sit and chat with them. Having Dementia, the residents are less able to initiate activities themselves and cannot go out alone which leaves them at risk of becoming isolated. An extra pair of hands would mean that more residents could go out for lunch or for a walk. We have games, arts and crafts, an in-house hairdresser, a sensory room, a beautiful garden, a resident's kitchen for baking and cooking and 25 wonderful residents who would love to meet you! Harewood House (17+) Contact Sarah Irwin-Davies Tel: 0113 218 1039 Email: [email protected] There are various opportunities to be involved in promoting Harewood House and its surroundings for the study and appreciation of Harewood as a place of historical and cultural interest and natural beauty – for example Bird Garden Stewards, House Stewards or Shuttle Bus Driver (Full Driving License required.) Harrogate Hospital Volunteers (16+) Contact: Fiona Tomlinson Tel: 01423 555736 Email: [email protected] Have you got a great idea for an event or activity that could help raise funds to provide additional resources for our local hospsital. Or would you just like to join the team of other young volunteers who are already making such a great difference. There are also some opportunities to volunteer in the hospital itself. Harrogate Hospital Radio Contact: Nicola Pollard Tel: 01423 886228 Email: [email protected] Are you available in the early afternoons (2-4pm)? Volunteers are required to go round the wards talking to patients about hospital radio and collecting music requests for that nights's show. You

must be interested in music and able to advise patients on choice.You need to be happy to be in a

hospital environment

Harrogate International Festival (16+) Contact: Louise Smyllie Tel: 01423 562303 Email: [email protected] Help at The Summer Music Festival, or at concerts in the Sunday Series in the spring, selling programmes, showing audience members to their seats, checking tickets and helping as needed. Volunteers can usually watch the concerts. You would be needed one hour before a performance and would need to stay until after the audience has left at the end. We like volunteers to do a minimum of three concerts per Festival, or perhaps you could help with large mail-outs from the Festival Office. Harrogate Tigers Baseball Club Contact: Kelli Zezulka Email: [email protected] Harrogate Tigers baseball club which has both adult and youth teams are looking for coaches, players and ancillary helpers, also people to help on game days and to help with occasional field clean up days Help at Home (16+) Contact – Jane Cozens Tel: 01423-507861 Email: [email protected] Learn some useful skills by helping with basic gardening and decorating for elderly or disabled people. You’d work in a team with supervision and need to be able to come on a week day between 10am and 4pm. Henshaws Society for Blind People (16+, though some roles have older age restrictions) Contact: John Fox Tel: 01423 799612 Email: [email protected] Henshaws provides a range of services for people with a visual impairment both at the College in Starbeck and at the Arts and Crafts Centre in Knaresborough. Could you help at the holiday clubs (if aged 17+)? Or perhaps you could help with events, or in the shop or coffee shop at the Arts and Crafts Centre? Contact John or the Volunteer Centre to find out about all the different opportunities. Home Library Service (16+) Contact: John Moss Tel: 01609 798281 Email: [email protected] Do you have a few hours to spare once a fortnight, Do you enjoy books? North Yorkshire County Council works with the local WRVS, from Starbeck library, to provide a free delivery service to those who find it difficult to visit the library themselves. We need drivers and helpers to deliver books to the housebound in a small area in Harrogate. Monday morning and afternoon, Thursday morning and afternoon. Volunteers work in pairs, usually one driver and one helper. Killinghall Nomads JFC (16+) Contact: Sally Houghton Tel:07866113152 Email: [email protected] Killinghall Nomads aim to provide football for as many young people as possible, regardless of their gender or ability. Volunteers are required to assist in coaching a small group of disabled young people on Saturdays 10-12am at Granby High School playing Fields on Ainsty Road

Harrogate, (and the occasional Sunday). You will need a basic understanding of football, the ability to relate to and communicate with young people, patience and enthusiasm. There are also roles to help with admin, fundraising and event organisation for the wider football club. Long Meadows Nursing Home, Ripon Contact: Sheila Clargo Tel: 01765 607210 Email: [email protected] We are looking for volunteers on an ad hoc basis who are willing to help with all aspects of making life more enjoyable for residents of a nursing home on the Harrogate Rd in Ripon. Help with general activities, help with trips out, help with serving tea and coffee or just sitting and chatting to those with few or no visitors of their own. Outdoor Work (various ages – please see specific opportunities for details) If you enjoy working in the great outdoors and want to help improve the local environment, there are a number of ways you could get involved: Bilton Conservation Contact Keith Wilkinson Tel: 01423 564708 Email: [email protected] ) Organises working parties at weekends to protect and enhance the rural environment of Bilton and the Nidd Gorge. Under 16s may join in only working alongside a parent or gurdian and must organise their own insurance, volunteers 16-18 just need parental consent. Pinewoods Conservation Trust Contact: Geoff Scurrah Tel: 01423 509889 Get involved in conservation work in the Pinewoods in Harrogate by Harlow Carr - Balsam clearance, footpath maintenance and tree and bulb planting. Knaresborough in Bloom, the Harrogate Group of the Ramblers Association (Helping maintain footpaths) and the Friends of Bebra Gardens are three other ways you could get your hands and boots dirty locally! (Contact: Andrew Willoughby Tel: 01423 866987) Some opportunities are available for any age – others just 16+ - check with Andrew or the Volunteer Centre. This is a great way to work alongside other people, get some exercise in the fresh air, and learn skills. There is a variety of work - fetching and carrying and more skilled. TCV- The Conservation Volunteers have active environmental conservation tasks during the week – Groups in Leeds or York – visit www.btcv.org to find out more. http://www2.tcv.org.uk/display/yorkyouth is a specific project run in the York area by BTCV York – call 01904 644300 for more information. Sustrans is a sustainable transport charity working on practical projects such as the National Cycle Network - over 10,000 miles of traffic-free, quiet lanes and on-road walking and cycling routes around the UK. Would you like to join an enthusiastic friendly group to do outdoor work clearing overgrown vegetation on a local cycle/footpath network? Tasks would include painting gates, installing new signs, general maintenance and possibly manning display stalls at local events. Practcial work takes place on the second Tuesday of each month usually between 10.00 and 1.00 (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult).

The Mental Health Project Contact: Lizzie Rosewood Tel: 01423 505676 Email: [email protected] The Sunday Social Group meets every Sunday of the Year between 2pm and 4pm. Anyone who is interested in mental health issues and who can give a regular, reliable commitment is welcome to become a volunteer. If you want to help with children the Mums in Need of Support (MINOS) group has volunteers on Tuesdays at the Harrogate Town Children's Centre from 10am - 12 noon, and at Saltergate School, Jennyfields on Thursdays 10am - 12noon - most volunteers work at one venue or the other. Moorview Kennels, Bewerley Contact: Joanne Brydon Tel: 07970286746 Email: [email protected] We are a busy boarding kennels &cattery and also a Dog Rescue re-homing centre. We would welcome volunteers to walk some of our rescue dogs and help with cleaning and feeding them, also bathing and grooming. Commit for one hour minimum between 10am- 4pm. National Trust at Brimham Rocks Contact: Sue Gregory 01423 780688 Brimham Rocks is a great outdoor site owned by the National Trust – they welcome volunteers fo 16+ to help welcome visitors and in their shop and visitor centre. Riding for the Disabled Association – Stockeld Park Group (16+) Contact: Glenda Pollard Tel: 01423 521146 Email [email protected] Join us at Sicklinghall every Tuesday between 10.15 & 12,15 or 12.45 & 2.30, to support an individual child with physical and/or learning disability under the instruction of of one of our riding instructors. RSVP (16+) Contact: Steve Twynham Tel: 07557684099 Email: [email protected] 20,000 Primary school children in Yorkshire leave school each year without having achieved the national literacy standard. Can you help a child to improve their reading skills and enjoy reading books. You could dramatically improve a child's reading age, and change their lives. Volunteers are required for 1 hour per week minimum. St John Ambulance (16+) Contact: Danielle Mulholland Tel: 01423 780221 Email: [email protected] Join St John Ambulance and learn to be a first aider. There are groups to suit all ages and once you’re 18 you can become a full first aider. There are groups for younger people to join but first aiders must be 16+.

Supporting Older People (16+) Contact: Phillippa Seed Tel: 01423 531490 Email: [email protected] For many older people who live alone days can seem long and empty. Could you give one or two hours a week, or even once a fortnight, to visit an older person (over 65) in their own home, - or maybe help with outings occasionally?

Uniformed Groups (Guiding/Scouting) (14+) Contact: Mark Turner Tel: 01423 886086 Email: [email protected] You could help as a young leader work assisting with programmes, both weekly and occasional weekends. You can take your pick from Rainbows, Beavers, Brownies or Cubs, Guides or Scouts. You can bring skills, knowledge and experience to the groups and gain valuable people skills, that can be put to use in other areas of your life. Various locations across the Harrogate / Knaresborough / Pateley Bridge area United Response (16+) Contact: Wayne Dunn Tel: 07817 564694 Email: [email protected] The mission of United Response is to support people with learning difficulties and mental health problems, help them to take control of their lives and fulfil their individual needs, preferences and aspirations. Volunteers are required to helpwith making and selling home made crafts and cards, and also to support service users with a variety of activities. Yorkshire Cancer Help Centre Contact: Dorothy Groome Tel: 01423 501527 The Cancer Help Centre meets twice a month, between 10.30-4pm on the 2nd Saturday of each month and the 4th Saturday at the Day therapry centre of St Michaels Hospice. Three or four volunteers at each session serve drinks and snacks . You will meet new people and will be helping people who are living with cancer in their healing process, working in a warm, friendly atmosphere. Yorkshire Yoga and Therapy Centre (16+ for shop / refreshments, 18+ for Yoga enabler) Contact: Laura Bissell Tel: 01423 864343 Email: [email protected] A not-for-profit community organisation, aiming to make the benefits of yoga accessible to all ages and ability levels. You could help with reception duties and with setting up between classes. Or perhaps you could help a disabled yoga practitioner – helping them to get into specially modified yoga postions. Help is also needed with serving refreshements after the sessions.

Fundraising and Event Planning There are many organisations that need help with fundraising and event planning. This is your chance to use your creative, marketing and organ-isational skills, as most are open to suggestions for events and will allow you to take control of the whole process. If there is a cause close to your heart that you would like to be involved with, normally an internet search under their name (for example “Cancer Research”) will provide you with the contact details and all the informa-tion that you need to get up and running. However, if you would like some inspiration, try some of the following: Collection Box Co-ordinators and collectors are required for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Action Aid and Leukaemia Care and Bright Horizons. Event planning and organisation would be welcomed by Carers Re-sourc, Leonard Cheshire Disability, Yorkshire MESMAC, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Dogs for the Disabled, Macmillan Cancer Support, St Michaels Hospice, Henshaws Society for the Blind… Speakers are often needed to publicise organisations and draw atten-tion to the fantastic work that they do – ones currently looking for people are Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Macmillan Cancer Research, National So-ciety for Epilepsy and Cancer Research UK. One Off Events are a great way to be involved with a charity or volun-tary group – and many offer exciting and different opportunities – for ex-ample Sky Diving, or Mountain Bike Trails. Again, keeping a look out on websites of charities that you are interested in is a good way of finding out what is going on, joining these groups on Twitter or Facebook, or contacting the Volunteer Centre to find out if there is an event on near you.

Voluntary work away from home

If you are aged sixteen or over, there are many ways that you can do some voluntary work away from home, from working holidays to full scale Gap Year projects. Residential volunteering offers the chance to try things for a week or two or to dedicate a year or even longer to working with an organisation, living away from home. Visit www.volunteering.org.uk and click on “I want to Volunteer” and then residential projects to find out some useful contacts. Here are some examples: TCV (The Conservation Volunteers) Tel 01302 388883 or visit www.tcv.org Spend a week in spectacular settings learning new conservation skills. CSV Tel 020 7278 6601; E-mail [email protected]; www.csv.org.uk Full-time volunteer placements away from home in one of more than 1,000 projects - everyone who applies is accepted. National Trust Working Holidays Brochureline: 020 8315 1111; E-mail [email protected]; www.nationaltrust.org.uk/volunteers Working for the preservation of places of historic interest or natural beauty in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Trust organises over 400 inexpensive working holidays for people aged 17+ Thistle Camps (The National Trust for Scotland) A4 SAE to 5 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4DU; E-mail [email protected] www.thistlecamps.org.uk Practical conservation work on properties all over Scotland, including the remote islands. TOC H Tel 01296 623911; E-mail [email protected]; www.toch.org.uk A variety of projects, using small groups of volunteers, designed for people to get to know one another, work together and make new friends. Volunteering Abroad: If you’re considering volunteering overseas visit www.volunteering.org.uk and click on “I want to Volunteer” and then “Overseas Volunteering” - there’s lots of useful information and contacts. Most opportunities require you to be 18 or over and involve some cost which you may be asked to fundraise for

What to do next …

So you’ve made the decision to give some of your time in the community

–THANK YOU!

You may have found something in this book that seems just right for you. If so, you can contact the person or organisation directly and arrange to talk to them about what they’re looking for and what you can hope to gain from volunteering for them. If you decide to go ahead they’ll probably want to meet you and ask you to fill in a simple application form - and they’ll need some references too - perhaps ask a tutor or teacher, a good family friend or, if you have a job, your employer. But if you’re still not quite sure what you want to do, or whether volunteering is really right for you, then you can get some help from your local Volunteer Centre.

In Harrogate the Volunteer Centre is at: Community House, 46-50 East Parade

Harrogate HG1 5RR

Your contact there is : Caroline Shead - phone her on 01423 509004 or e-mail [email protected]

More information is available at

www.harrogatevolunteercentre.org.uk

We’re here to help!

student volunteering

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