Park rangers (but be quick), family volunteers, runners for the 2021 London marathon, a laptop technician, a social media guru, and mental health first aiders are all sought this week.
London National Park City – park rangers
Applications are being accepted until midnight on Sunday 7 March 2021 and are open to everyone aged 14 years and above. The Volunteer Rangers are a network of passionate people with a wide range of experiences and talents who will help make London healthier, greener and wilder, contributing to a shared vision to make London a city where people, places and nature are better connected. The Rangers will work in their local communities and across the Capital on projects to tackle the climate & ecological crises, scale greening initiatives and conservation activities, run education and youth programmes, improve access to green and blue space and inspire Londoners to eat better, get outside to exercise, explore and have fun! Rangers come from across the city helping to make London greener, healthier and wilder. For more information, please click here.
Home Start Lambeth – family volunteers
Do you have parenting or childcare experience and skills? Home-Start Lambeth volunteers provide support, friendship and practical help to families with at least one child under five who are experiencing difficulties. They are reaching out for volunteers who can give about an hour per week for six months minimum (times can be flexible to suit both you and the family you are supporting). Volunteers will:
- offer support tailored to the needs of the families over the phone, via Zoom and/or via socially distanced meet ups
- build a supportive relationship with the family in which the challenges of family life can be discussed, positive strategies encouraged, and also encourage parents’ strengths and emotional well-being so they can best support their children
- encourage families to widen their network of relationships and to use the support and services available in the community effectively
You will need to be able to be reliable, a good listener, and maintain confidentiality while recognising that there may be situations when disclosure is essential to the welfare of a child. Training will be provided online. Your own experiences and skills can help another family more than you could imagine – Home Start would love to hear from you.
St. Michael’s Fellowship – marathon runners
The London Marathon is a vital source of funding for St Michael's. Every year, the team raises more than £20k which means they can help more disadvantaged children and their parents. Last year, they missed out because the marathon was cancelled for the first time ever in 40 years. Can you help them in 2021? Their families need them now more than ever. The 2021 London Marathon is on Sunday 3 October. Do you know a friend, family member or colleague who's always fancied the challenge of running a marathon? Would you like to have a go yourself? They currently have spaces for eight runners – get in touch to secure one. St. Michael’s ask their runners to secure a minimum of £1,500 in sponsorship, which means they can support more mothers and fathers to help their children thrive.
ClearCommunityWeb - technician and modern media
ClearCommunityWeb is a social enterprise that helps develop digital skills in older people, vulnerable adults, carers and the community groups that serve them. They run classes and workshops designed to help people feel more comfortable with technology, for those who are new to it, or provide ‘improver’ style sessions for anyone looking for extra support. Their services walk through the steps to resolve computer issues and the difficulties people are having in staying connected, as well as providing a computer lending scheme. They work closely with community groups and non-profit organisations and are working hard to expand their reach as demand for their services increases.
Laptop technician
This is a short-term volunteer role requiring six-eight laptops to be set up and configured ready for use by 1 April. This can be carried out flexibly within this time frame, and they are happy to work with you to suit your availability and schedule. This work can be done remotely or from their office in Crystal Palace.
Modern media
They are looking for someone to assist in increasing their social media posting to celebrate the work they have been doing and to raise awareness of the challenges they are tackling. They would also like to increase their reach across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Ideally, they are looking for ongoing assistance, but this could also suit someone looking to set things up and steer a direction for others to take over. Please register here if you can help with either role.
Get Set UK – mental health first aiders
Get Set UK deliver services in employability and skills to a wide range of job seekers. They are offering free four-day courses designed to teach people how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health. Mental Health First Aid MHFA training is the mental health equivalent of a physical first aid course. It won’t teach you to be a therapist, but it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening. Training in mental health first aid will give you an understanding of how to support positive wellbeing and tackle stigma in the world around you. You’ll learn to recognise warning signs of mental ill health, and develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone while keeping yourself safe, as well as how to empower someone to access the support they might need for recovery or successful management of symptoms.
NOTE: To be eligible you need to be over 19, live in Lambeth and be currently unemployed.
Four day courses run 8-11 March, 15-19 March and 13-19 April – to register please mailto:getsettraining@
