This week's opportunites are set out below. Volunteering in locations that are Covid-protected, in roles that cannot be done from home, is allowed under the lockdown but please only consider roles that are close to home that you can travel to safely. Please read the government guidelines; you must stay home unless the listed exceptionsa pply - which includes volunteering.

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’re reaching out for volunteers who can give about an hour per week for 6 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.

Healthy Living Platform – hot meal deliverers

Volunteers to help with local food deliveries needed! Healthy Living Platform is a social enterprise offering activities which benefit the health and wellbeing of the community. To help families during Covid-19, Healthy Living Platform has been delivering nutritious hot meals to families. If you live near Brixton, are available Tues/Weds/Thurs afternoons, generally 2.30-4.30pm, Healthy Living Platform would love to hear from you. Bicycle deliveries are our preferred means of transport, but also happy for deliveries to be made by foot or car. Sign up here.

Myatt’s Field Park Project – Legal/HR advice

MFPP are hoping someone in Team Lambeth can help with some legal advice. They need to stay on top of recent contract law, particularly relating to recent HR and employment changes to ensure that they and their potential employees and volunteers are protected. Here’s a video about the work of the Myatt’s Field Park Project – it’s a bit dated now and will make you long for times when you can get out more, but indicates just how important supporting community led projects is – please can you help?