Volunteering
What is Volunteering?
Volunteering means:
- Giving your time without expecting to be paid for it (apart from out of pocket expenses) to help either an organisation or someone who is not a family member;
It can be a way of:
- Meeting new people, making new friends
- Learning new skills whilst using existing ones;
- Gaining confidence & increasing self-esteem
What is the Supported Volunteering Scheme?
The Supported Volunteering Scheme aims to:
- Increase the opportunity for people with mental health issues to become volunteers;
- Recruit people as 'buddies' who can mentor people with mental health issues in their volunteering;
- Signpost & support people into worthwhile volunteering activity
How do I become involved?
Its quite simple really! You can get in touch with us yourself or if you have a keyworker or care co-ordinator you might want them to refer you. Just call Redbridge Concern for Mental Health on 020 8925 2435 and speak with the Volunteer Development Officer.
Once you have had the chance to go through an initial information pack you can arrange to meet up with us to:
- Look at what you might be interested in doing;
- Discuss what volunteering opportunities might be available;
- Think about what you might need to help get you started, e.g. helping to complete application forms, organising visits to or accompanying you to interviews if needed.
- How you can be involved while waiting to be placed.
Some questions you might wish to ask:
- What do I want to gain from being a volunteer?
- What can I offer as a volunteer?
- How much time can I give to being a volunteer?
- Is there anything I really do not want to do?
- Will I receive expenses
- What type of volunteering is there to do?
- Is there any training provided?
- What is going to be expected of me?
- What support will I get
- How quickly can I get going?
- Will being a volunteer affect any of my benefits?
- Do I have to give references?
- Will I need a CRB check?
Redbridge Concern for Mental Health is a unique voluntary sector organisation that serves people with mental health problems in the London Borough of Redbridge. Established over nine years ago, Redbridge Concern is a user driven organisation committed to creating a better life for people experiencing and recovering from mental health problems.
Capital Volunteering tackles issues of mental health and social exclusion by increasing the number and range of supported volunteering opportunities in London. The project helps existing organisations to enable people who have - or are recovering from - enduring mental health issues to volunteer in a range of settings, therby increasing their confidence, skills, social networks and employability. Capital Volunteering also supports volunteers who act as 'buddies' to people with serious mental health issues.
For further information about volunteering opportunities please contact:
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Lesley Harrison, Volunteer Development Officer
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Tel: |
020 8925 2435 |
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Fax: |
020 8514 8117 |
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Email: |
