What is a volunteer?
A volunteer is someone who gives their time freely and without payment to benefit other people, the community or the environment
Why would you volunteer?
For enjoyment
To get involved
To make new friends
To gain skills
To get work experience
To add to your CV
To gain an award or qualification
To share your talents
To help others
Who Volunteers?
Anyone can offer their time. It can be as little or as much as you can spare.
You may be working, retired, a student, a job-seeker, an ex-offender, someone with a special need or a disability, older; younger…
Volunteers come from all walks of life and all sections of the community.
Everyone can make a difference!
What you can do as a Volunteer in Wyre Forest?
Advice & Mentoring
• Citizen’s Advice Bureau Volunteer Advisors. Helping local people gain information and uphold their rights.
Weekdays. Minimum time 6 hours p.w. Training given. Kidderminster.
• Mentor Link. A service covering various schools in Wyre Forest including Birchen Coppice, to support and mentor young people. You need to be patient & a good listener. Their Head office is at Bewdley High School.
Weekdays. Training given. Bewdley.
Driving & Escorts
• KEMP Hospice. Car owners needed to drive patients from their homes to the Day Care Centre at Kemp in Kidderminster.
Weekdays between 10-10.45am and 2.45-3.15pm.
• Community Transport Helpline. Own car drivers needed to take those unable to travel by other means to essential services.
Weekdays. Across Wyre Forest & rural areas.
• Multiple Sclerosis Society. Minibus drivers and escorts needed for this service. Weekdays.
• Meals on Wheels. Drivers needed to transport meals to elderly people.
Mon, Wed Fri in Bewdley. To cover lunch times – 12 – 2pm.
• DIAL A RIDE provide a friendly service for the transportation of disabled and elderly people within the Wyre Forest District, using specially adapted minibuses with tail lifts.
Supporting People throughout the Wyre Forest.
• Worcestershire Lifestyles offering friendship and support to a person with a disability, perhaps for an outing or leisure pursuit. If you have an hour or two to spare in the week and are outgoing this might be for you. Across the Wyre Forest.
• The Dysphasia Support Service is looking for volunteers to regularly visit people who have had a stroke, to work with them on their communication skills. The organiser of the local Stroke Association provides training and support. Stourport on Severn.
• Red Cross Home from Hospital provides a service where volunteers support people leaving hospital with practical tasks for up to 4 weeks. It might include shopping, collecting prescriptions or just stopping for a chat. Full training is given.
• Wyre Forest Advocacy supporting vulnerable individuals to ensure their voices are heard and their rights upheld. Just a few hours can make a difference. Full training is given. Across Wyre Forest.
• Youth Support Services is an organisation which covers the whole county. It is always looking for volunteers from all kinds of backgrounds, cultures and interests to work with young people. The organisation provides Mentors and also an Appropriate Adult service which supports young people (10– 16 years) during interviews and procedures at police stations in connection with alleged offences. Volunteers work on a rota system and need to have an empathy with young people and be good listeners.
• Worcestershire County Council have set up a project to support DeafBlind People throughout the county. The aim of the scheme is to reduce isolation and loneliness for someone with both limited sight and hearing. Volunteers need to have patience, good verbal and written skills and a desire to broaden the experience of deafblind people and help them get more out of their surroundings and local community and everyday world.
Working with children & young people.
• Homestart Wyre Forest support families under stress with at least one child under 5 years. Their volunteers need to be parents or grandparents and visit families in their own homes to offer support and friendship. Monday to Friday. Ten week training course.
• Youth Support Service volunteer appropriate adults support young offenders 10 to 17 years of age through procedures on arrest at local police stations. Need to be over 21.
• Wyre Forest Nightstop. Hosts are needed to provide one night’s occasional accommodation to young people who are temporarily homeless.
• Wyre Forest Anti Social Behaviour is a new organisation which has been set up by young people, to offer advice to residents of Wyre Forest to tackle anti social behaviour. The organisation has their own website and is looking for volunteers to moderate the site. Volunteers need to have an interest in websites and will work from home.
We can find an opportunity to suit most interests and whatever time you have to spare. So contact the Volunteer Centre and see what other opportunities we have available.
If you would like to volunteer, you can download an application form and send it to the address below.
Community Action Wyre Forest
Volunteer Centre
We are open Monday to Thursday: 9.30 am-3.30pm at:
Burgage Lodge
184 Franche Road
Kidderminster
DY11 5AD
Tel: 01562 862757
Email: vc@communityactionwf.org.uk
At other times our answer phone is available to leave a message and we will contact you.
If you prefer you can find more information about some of our volunteering opportunities on the internet at www.do-it.org.uk
