• Norwood Forum

Volunteering opportunities this week

A whole host of volunteering opportunities this week from TeamLambeth, with a special mention for our own West Norwood Feast:

  • West Norwood Feast - various roles
  • Age UK - digital neighbours
  • Covid marshals
  • LoveSexLife – community champions

West Norwood Feast

West Norwood Feast is emerging from winter lockdown and will be back on the first Sunday of every month, starting 4 April. It’s a community event built around 100 market stalls over five sites along the high street. Feast is run almost entirely by local volunteers who book the stalls and organise a full programme of free children’s activities and live entertainment. It is a farmer’s market, a craft fair, a flea market and a street food hub all rolled into one. Feast employs a part time coordinator to support approximately 40 regular volunteers, plus more occasional supporters. They’re looking for a range of volunteers for all sorts of roles in 2021. Some of the ‘kit’ based roles need a car for transport, and several of the roles require fit and able people who can lift and carry a decent weight. Here are some very broad outlines of the roles – please let us know which you’re interested in to find out more:

  • Entertainments Coordinator - to book Feast performers and look after them on the day. Set up equipment and pack away at the end of the day.
  • HQ Hub Leader – to set up the HQ/Information gazebo, to welcome visitors and answer questions about Feast and the local area and sign up volunteers
  • Additional Hub Leader for Village Green, Artisans and Food Fair – to volunteer alongside the existing Hub Leader to book stalls and support traders on the day
  • Don’t mind an early start, then we need you! -  to collect equipment (chairs, Hub Boxes, signs) from the nearby storage areas and deliver them to each Hub in time for the start of Feast
  • Tea and Talk Table – to set up and give out refreshments and chat to senior members of the community
  • First aiders – to be available on the day
  • Kit Coordinator – to look after the Feast kit – gazebos and tables. Can be done at any time.
Age UK - digital neighbours
 
Age UK Lambeth want you to get involved in their exciting new project 'Digital Neighbours'. 'Digital Neighbours' help Age UK Lambeth clients to get comfortable online to overcome the digital divide, with all the social and life benefits that brings. This is a community-based volunteering role in which the volunteer becomes something of a local digital hero in their neighbourhood. The role is to provide basic digital support and learning to Age UK clients in your neighbourhood, over the phone or on Zoom. This could be anything from helping people get familiar with facetime, savvy with search engines or brave buying things online, all the way through to helping someone solve a scary error message or even to just ‘turn the bleeding thing on’! The role is very flexible, so you can fit Digital Neighbour tasks around work and other responsibilities. Age UK hopes that helping in your local area fits nicely into everyday life - let them know if you'd like to find out moreUK - digital neighbours: sign up to be a Digital Neighbour.
 
Westbury's Chemist, Streatham - Covid marshals
 
Westbury Chemist on Streatham High Road are continuing to vaccinate our most vulnerable residents for Covid-19. They’re hoping to cover two five-hour shifts every day, including weekends. Volunteers will help to ensure the safe flow of the people being vaccinated from the time they arrive to the time they leave - checking patients are on the appointment list, checking temperatures, reassuring patients and preparing them for the vaccination room. One volunteer will relieve the others for short breaks, make sure that patients leave safely with details of their vaccine batch on vaccination cards that will be given by the injectors. Shifts will be 8am-1pm and 1pm-7pm every day, including weekends. PPE will be provided. Social distancing will be managed. If you can help, please apply here and indicate shifts that you can do ALL of, not any of - i.e. please only tick three shifts if you can do all three shifts. Experience has informed Westbury's that one sure shift is more helpful that half a dozen possibles.

Copes Pharmacy, Streatham: Covid marshals

Copes – a long way further south in Streatham – are also continuing their vaccination programme, from 9am-2pm and 2pm-7pm weekdays only – also 1-14 March. Please sign up to Copes here.

LoveSexLife – community champions

The LSL Sexual Health Partnership is led by Brook, NAZ, Shape History and Blueprint For All (formerly known as the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust) as well as a number of organisations and local community members who believe in an inclusive and culturally specific way of doing sexual health. LSL are looking for Community Champions to work with Brook to communicate and cascade positive Sexual and Reproductive Health messages to their local communities. Are you passionate about:

  • taking action against stigma and discrimination of people in the Black African, Caribbean and other minority ethnic (BME) communities​?
  • wanting to be a voice in your community to promote positive and clear sexual health messages by creating awareness and assisting individuals to make informed choices about their sexual health and wellbeing?

Champions will assist individuals in their local communities to access a range of sexual health and wellbeing services, helping them to take responsibility for their own health needs. Community Champions will receive full training on various sexual and reproductive health (SRH) topics, and be supported by one of Brook’s Education and Wellbeing team. Click here to see the person spec for champions, and here to apply. BME individuals are in particular strongly encouraged to apply for this volunteer role.