Who do I speak to about the Volunteering Programme?
Volunteer coordinator – Emma Walker
How to get involved – Email Volunteering@youthresilience.co.uk
The power of volunteering
Our volunteers are involved in a range of influential support within our organisation. One of the projects we worked on recently was with one of our partnership funders the Kent Violence Reduction Unit. The volunteers helped with facilitating virtual forums that ultimately led to their views enabling influence on the key projects we develop at both YRUK and at the Kent VRU.
What does a volunteer do?
Volunteers help with projects that the company creates. For example, you can view some one of our more recent projects on our blog page. This involved funding from the VRU to allow all of the volunteers to create videos about subject areas they were passionate about. We have more exciting projects that are approaching that you could be a part of. Volunteers help to create some of the resources we use on a day to day basis, as well as express their opinions on certain training packages we offer. This allows the company to shape and tailor our work to make sure we are communicating the right information and in the right way!
Do I have to be a young person to get involved?
No! You can be a volunteer whatever your age (within reason) If you are below the age of 18 then we need parental consent. This is because as a volunteer you could potentially be participating in difficult training topics as well as possible zoom meetings that could be recorded.
Benefits of becoming a volunteer
You will be given a basic time sheet in which you can track the hours you do with the company, this was upon request other employees or university’s or apprenticeships can see how may volunteer hours you have done with us. Additionally, we can provide you with a reference upon request to try and help with whatever you may be applying for. We have a volunteer of the month scheme in which everyone in the company staff and volunteers can nominate someone to be the volunteer of the month, the person with the most votes will win some kind of voucher as a thank you for all of their hard work. Additionally, we have frequent wellbeing meetings so if anyone has any concerns that we can help with they can tell us. Additionally, on top of the wellbeing calls we do wellbeing activities as a group for example monthly quizzes. This is a chance for everyone to get engaged and involved with something that is some fun down time for them. We also work closely with mid Kent mind who offer a range of services like this. Some of our volunteers have already got involved with the calligraphy course that they offered. As a volunteer there are nearly always free training opportunities for you get involved in, some of which can result in gaining certificates to support the training you would have completed. This means you can massively expand your portfolio and CV when working with us.