VOLUNTEER COLUMN: Can you provide an extra pair of hands for a family?

Visits take place weekly in the family’s own home.

Volunteers offer support to families facing a wide range of issues, such as loneliness and isolation, ill health, depression, bereavement, relationship difficulties, multiple births, special needs, first time parenthood, domestic violence or disability.

Volunteers are someone the family can talk too confidentially; they can play with the children or introduce ideas for activities.

A volunteer could be ‘an extra pair of hands’ in everyday situations or accompany on outings to the park, library or toddler group.

Volunteers can give information on services and offer reassurance and understanding that bringing up children can be difficult.

Volunteers need to be parents themselves or have 24 hour parenting experience such as through being a step parent or foster carer.

It is essential to enjoy the company of children, to be reliable and trustworthy and to be a good listener.

Link to Hope is a Christian charity based in Worthing, established in 1991, who rebuild lives and communities in Eastern Europe through social care and education projects.

They are looking for people to work as part of a warm welcoming team in their shops in Littlehampton and Rustington.

There are a number of roles within the shop, so whether you have budding creative skills for displaying and making up outfits, or have a passion for books, music or china, preparing and merchandising all types of stock as well as serving and talking to customers, it all goes towards their overall goals of raising funds.

They would love you to come and join the team and give them a hand.

The Laurels is a specialist day centre for people with long term or complex social care needs offering people a wide range of activities and respite.

The service is aimed at people with a physical, sensory or memory impairment and people with an acquired brain injury.

Volunteers are required to assist and support clients with a variety of activities ranging from computer skills, cooking, gardening and crafts.

Good communication skills and patience are required and if you have cooking or gardening skills that would be a bonus.

Young carers take on responsibility at home because someone in their family is disabled or has been ill for a long time, experiences mental ill health, or has a problem linked to drugs or alcohol.

Lots of young people want to help and feel proud that they are lending a hand, but at the same time the impact of these responsibilities may cause difficulties at home, at school and elsewhere.

Using your own car, you will offer door to door transport for those young carers who would otherwise be unable to access groups and other activities.

The transport service offers freedom and independence to young people who may be socially and geographically isolated, to help build their self-esteem, self-confidence, and support networks.

For more information on any of the above roles, please call Volunteer Now! on 01243 864220, or visit www.do-it.org.

For bite-sized volunteering of ten days or less please visit http://skillshare-westsussex.org.uk/.

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