Volunteer Telford

Home-Start volunteers are of all ages and come from all walks of life. A number of volunteers have been in receipt of Home-Start support themselves. Their aim is to work alongside families, empowering them to become independent.

All home visiting volunteers need to have been parents themselves or have had parenting experience.

Volunteers are recruited for their friendliness, understanding and caring approach. The preparation course gives you a chance to get to know the staff and other volunteers, our approach and the way we work. It also gives us a chance to get to know you. The course covers topics such as safeguarding children, confidentiality and health and safety, as well as giving you the opportunity to explore some of your own values and attitudes.

Whilst you are visiting a family on behalf of Home-Start you will be supported by a member of staff. Home-Start Telford & Wrekin offers volunteers training and social gatherings throughout the year.

Brookside Community Fridge with support from Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council and Brookside Central CIO have launched Telford’s first Community Fridge.

The aim of the Community Fridge is to enable residents and businesses to share surplus food and for anyone to help themselves to quality food that would otherwise be wasted.

Volunteers to drive to and pick up food donations from local businesses – this will ensure the community fridge remains full.

Tasks

• Respond to requests from our Big Local Team.
• Be able to drive and collect food donations from local shops.
• Deliver food donations to Brookside Community Fridge.
• Respond to requests from Big Local.
• Adhere to Policies and procedures set out by Big Local.
• Volunteers will work off-site picking up food surplus from local suppliers.
• Volunteers will be working alone so will adhere to the lone working policy and will complete a risk assessment with staff member.
• Volunteers will carry food stuff to Brookside Community Fridge.
• Regular evening pick- up sessions Monday to Thursday evenings (Times in line with shop timescales (Usually 2 hours before shop closes).
• Early pick up of food stuff from stores (07:00am- 09:00am).
• Drop food to Brookside Central early mornings (09:00am onwards).

Our Telephone Chat Scheme supports people over 50 who may be struggling with loneliness and/or isolation.

The role is involves working from our home, calling clients once or more times a week at agreed times, to chat, listen and check that they’re coping OK.

The Shropshire Cycle Hub is looking for a volunteer who has a knowledge of basic bike mechanics to help out on the Donnington Everyday Cycling Project.

Shropshire Cycle Hub is a small charity that promotes cycling and improves access to bikes and repair services.  We have launched The Everyday Cycling Project in Donnington, where we will work closely with up to 50 individuals to help them overcome barriers to cycling, including providing a renovated bike if needed, and a programme of support from our Community Cycling Advisor including route planning, skills training, led social rides, troubleshooting and general encouragement.

We are looking for a volunteer who would be able to help out with potential bike problems that the Everyday Cycling participants may have, such as replacing inner tubes, repairing punctures, tightening brakes, seat and handlebar adjustment, attaching bike lights and possibly fitting a bike rack.

The volunteer would ideally be a cyclist and familiar with bike mechanics, however the Shropshire Cycle hub can provide some additional training for them to get them up to speed on the mechanics at the Shrewsbury Cycle Hub workshop in Shrewsbury town centre.

The volunteer would meet participants in order to look at their bike problems at the Donnington Hub, on St Matthews Rd, Donnington, TF2 7PR. It would be at a mutually convenient time within the Hub's working hours. 

Current Hub Working Hours:

Mon- 8.30-2.45

Tues 8.30-4

Weds 8.30-12

Thurs 8.30-2

Fri 8.30-1.45

The volunteering work is likely to be irregular in nature in response to bike problems occurring, but there would also be contact with Holly Sheldon the project officer for the Everyday Cycling Project and potential volunteering opportunities with advertising and bike logistics for the project. This project is running until the end of the year 2021.