Barnsley CVS runs the Volunteer Centre at Priory Campus, Pontefract Road, S71 5PN.
At the Volunteer Centre we can help you find a volunteering opportunity that is right for you, within Barnsley, from our database.
We provide a personal one to one service to help you get into volunteering.
Each month, our newsletter will highlight some of the best volunteer opportunities available in Barnsley.
We have lots of new and exciting roles to share with you this month as always! From hedge laying and festive foodbank support, to refugee support and tea party coordinator, there really is some fantastic and interesting volunteering opportunities for everyone to get involved with this month.
There will be some changes happening with the newsletter in the new year, and this is the last month to have your say on what you would like to see going forward via our survey in the 'Have your Say' Section So if you can, please do take 5 minutes to complete it, as your view as readers is key to these changes.
We know the cost of living will be having an impact on us all, and further in the newsletter there is also details of support services and events, that may help with the coming months
Any of the volunteering roles in the newsletter can be applied for via our website or app unless otherwise stated
You can visit the website by clicking the link or scanning the QR code below www.barnsleycvs.org.uk/volunteering
You can also find more volunteering roles on our website too!
We are currently working with a mix of home and office working, so if you would like to contact us you can call Yasmin on 07939521425 or email volunteer@barnsleycvsorguk if you would like some help or advice about getting into volunteering. #VolunteerInBarnsley
Family Lives are excited to be looking for volunteers to join the passionate and dedicated team.
Do you have lived experience of emotional
wellbeing challenges and can spare a few hours each week?
Do you enjoy listening, talking and sharing your skills to benefit other people?
If yes, then their Community Connects Service for adults 18 years upward needs you!
Why not join as a Peer Support Community Connector and support people with emotional wellbeing problems on their journey to achieve better mental health, live life independently and achieve their aspirations
Family Lives are a national registered charity with over forty years ’ experience of providing a range of support to families. They have achieved both the investors in people and investors in volunteer awards They have delivered services in Barnsley since 2019 working across the Central Area and later in 2022 across the whole borough
They have been commissioned by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust to deliver this service.
Full training and ongoing support
Opportunities for further training and development
Experiences to enhance and gain new skills
Meeting new people
Opportunity to make a difference in your community
A sense of fulfilment, achievement and enjoyment
Fun and friendship
Flexible volunteering arrangements and expenses paid
They are looking for caring and understanding volunteers who are able to offer a listening ear, develop positive peer relationships that support people to find their own strengths and solutions, build their confidence and self esteem, and help them to develop a toolkit and coping strategies enabling them to live life well
The service will provide a programme of support which, includes, face to face befriending in the home and community, group work, support by phone and video as well as signposting activities
They need:
Good listeners who have an ability to empathise
with all parents regardless of race, gender, age, religion or belief, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability and who can remain open minded and non judgmental
A willingness to use IT skills as part of the necessary record keeping and communication for the project would be beneficial. Full training will be given to support this
People who are willing to commit to work within Family Lives’ policies and who are willing to commit to attending regular one to one and support sessions with their mentor as well as work individually and as part of a team
This is a great opportunity to work closely with volunteers and employees in partner organisations such as Barnsley Recovery College, Social Prescribing Advisors, Peer Support Community Connectors, Create Recovery, other local partners and an existing team of volunteers.
Specific qualifications are not necessary for this role, but you will need to be understanding and resilient If you are pursuing a professional career in counselling or social work, this opportunity may particularly interest you as it offers hands on experience of working with adults and their families.
To find out more about becoming a volunteer, please e mail Lesley at LesleyB@familylivesorguk or call on 07971 253308
Or use this link to download an application pack: https://bitly/3UcYYQU
Once a volunteer has expressed interest in volunteering with the project, they will receive a telephone call for an initial discussion, if not already had this as part of the initial enquiry. Following the telephone call, the applicant will be e mailed an application form, if not already completed and received If and when completed, the applicant will receive an e mail invite for an informal interview where DBS and proof of identity checks will be undertaken. Following this stage, an induction and training will be provided, with dates and times negotiated with potential volunteers.
All volunteer enquiries will be responded to within two days.
When refugees first arrive in the UK, it can be bewildering for them Navigating a new country and a foreign language is a big challenge, made worse if you have no money and are scared and alone
Care4Calais volunteers meet up with refugees to provide a friendly face and helping hand They collect and distribute of clothes, shoes, mobile phones and other essentials.
They can also help them to access services such as legal aid, English lessons or public transport. Whatever your skills or interests they need your help!
To register as a volunteer, you simply need to email annie@care4calaisorg explaining why you want to get involved. After that, you will just need to complete a basic DBS check and an online safeguarding training course, and then you ’ re good to go!
Local Home Office accommodation for our region is currently situated in Manvers.
Listening Volunteers are needed to offer a listening service for callers who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which may lead to suicide by answering telephone calls, emails or on
You must be over 18.
No formal qualifications are necessary as full training will be given However, they are looking for people with empathy, discretion, honesty and open mindedness A knowledge of computers would help
Full training will be given, which takes 6 x half days on Saturdays with online topics in between for 30 45 minutes.
From new volunteer status, a probationary period will follow before becoming a full Samaritan volunteer
Please contact us on online at https://bit.ly/3U9FlJb by email at BarnsleySams@hotmailcom or by telephone on 01226 244447
IDAS are currently looking for a volunteer to assist with their social media The role will require you to generate new ideas and content, working with the communications and engagement lead
This is an opportunity to volunteer within a growing charity doing vital work to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
What does the role involve?
Marketing & communications
Generate ideas
Create content using Canva
Develop reels and stories for Instagram
Schedule regular posts across social media channels
What you will gain:
Training and support
Working within a dynamic, fast paced team
Digital marketing experience
Advance your communication skills
Work for a charity making a real difference to people's lives
What kind of person are they looking for?
Reliable Trustworthy
Organised
Committed
Self motivated Creative
What skills would be useful in the role?
Experience of organising events or fundraising
Excellent IT skills
Experience of using Twitter, Facebook, Instagram essential Experience using social media to promote or grow membership desirable
Experience using Canva desirable
They would require a minimum commitment of 3 hours per week. This can be undertaken remotely and there are also opportunities to work from their central, office. This role does not offer opportunities to work with clients in a support capacity
Register your interest here https://bitly/3FNqoZJ
Craft Allotments CIC work with people aged 50+ including those of limited means They focus on social isolation, lack of opportunity and fulfilling work for their target group (and lack of recognition of creative skills, qualifications and abilities in general).
They are currently 'Bouncing Back' after COVID and have re started providing Creative Activities (Crafts/Creative Writing/oral history etc) in underused spaces
They have longer term goals include creating a Community Hub (perhaps in partnership with other local organisations), where people aged 50 and over will share their skills with the community in various ways It is hoped that their clients will help to shape the future direction of the organisation.
They are in need of more volunteer directors to join the team to help create this vision.
They are interested in recruiting people from a diverse range of backgrounds who have a passion for the community
Experience may be from a variety of backgrounds, including Business, Community, Education or Creative Interests etc
Whilst Directors remain unpaid for Directors Duties, subject to funding they may be paid on a Freelance Basis for non Director Duties.
Please contact them to discuss the opportunity further: info@craftallotmentsciccouk
Darton Afternoon Club is a club for Seniors meeting weekly in the Darby and Joan Club building at Darton. They meet every Monday afternoon from 1pm until 3pm
They are looking for volunteers who are willing to come at 1200pm for about 30 minutes and at 3pm for about the same to set up the tables and chairs in the room and then put away at the end of the session Volunteers that can help them with this task would make their lives immeasurably better and safer, as most of their members are in their 80's.
No qualifications needed, but the role may suit two or more separate volunteers if you are only available for one of the time slots It may also suit someone who lives locally
To enquire about the role, please contact Lesley Warden via lesleycwarden@yahoo.co.uk
ELSH needs friendly and welcoming volunteers who can come regularly and support the Charity in a variety of ways, including making refreshments, setting up and tidying up, befriending people and supporting activities You don’t need any experience, just a willingness to learn.
If you are interested, please contact Florentine Bootha King on 07504542980.
ELSH are looking for a Receptionist administrator to support their services by answering phones, photocopying, typing letters and other documents, and filing and distributing information
Volunteers will be supporting the Office Manager in a range of administrative duties including the preparation of necessary documents will include dealing with highly confidential and sensitive information, also assisting with various admin tasks. An understanding of confidentiality and working with vulnerable groups is essential for this role
If you are interested, please contact Florentine Bootha King on 07504542980
The NSPCC need volunteers to help them protect a generation of children from abuse and neglect.
As a Speak out Stay safe volunteer in your local area, you will visit primary schools to deliver Speak out Stay safe workshops that teach children about the different types of abuse and how they can speak out and stay safe
Their Speak out. Stay safe. workshops are age appropriate and memorable and need an energetic and enthusiastic person to deliver them You’ll work alongside other Speak out Stay safe volunteers to make sure at the end of each session the children feel empowered and know who they can speak out to if they are worried
In some session’s children may speak up and disclose abuse, so you will also be required to sensitively handle this and report any concerns you have about the child But don’t worry you’ll get plenty of support and training on this
Signing up to be a school service volunteer, is very rewarding but it’s also a big commitment, which requires a lot of training, and you will need to deliver a minimum of two school visits every month, plus attendance at team training events and other role related tasks as required
They will also need to do some routine safeguarding checks, including an enhanced criminal record check and at least two satisfactory references with at least one covering a period of five years or more with no gaps It’s nothing to worry about, and they can answer any questions you have about this
If you are interested in volunteering as a Speak out Stay safe volunteer and want to find out more about the role, the next step is to attend a Volunteer Information Meeting, which is a fantastic opportunity to:
Meet with staff as well as volunteers to ask any questions you may have Learn more about the application process and your volunteer journey
The meetings are designed to help you decide whether you want to apply there's no obligation or expectation that you'll apply if you attend one At the meeting, you’ll also receive information on other ways you can become a supporter of the NSPCC
While they think this role is suitable for a whole range of people, they are particularly looking for those with the following qualities and experience:
Committed to NSPCC values and representing NSPCC in the role and beyond
Passionate about children’s rights, including their right to be safe
Empathic and perceptive
A Lifelong learner
Flexible and adaptable
Feel comfortable talking to large groups of children
A team player and able to work independently
Basic IT skills, this includes being able to use email, powerpoint presentations, their Volunteer Hub and online meeting platforms such as zoom or MSTeams
Willing to rise to a new challenge
For this role, they can only accept people over the age of 16
As an organisation, they are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children and adults at risk Their safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work with children and adults
If you have any questions or experience any issues, please contact the Volunteer Recruitment Team at VolunteerRecruitment@NSPCCorguk
Tea party drivers are a vital part of the Re engage team tea parties provide a lifeline of friendship for older people, and the regular, warm, friendly chats and companionship provide a vital link with the outside wo which they have become isolated.
Drivers take older people to the parties and stay with t together. Over time, drivers and older guests get to kn , together you will spend many hours full of fun, laughter, and stories
As a tea party driver, you liaise with your group coordinator and take older guests to and from the tea parties each month Staying at the tea party is part of your role, so it’s much more than being a driver.
You will need to have a full, clean, driving licence, and either a DBS (in England and Wales) or PVG (in Scotland) You will also need to check that you are covered by your regular motor insurance policy to do this role
Driving one to two older guestsusing your own carto a tea party venue and returning them home againafter the event
Staying at the tea party to help with conversation and serve refreshments. Liaising with the group coordinator to confirm which olderguests you will pick up
Informing the group coordinator of anysafeguardingconcernsor issuesyou mighthave
Following all guidance in your driver training modules to ensure that the tea parties are enjoyable, appropriate,and in line with our charitable aims
This is a flexible, voluntary role that can easily be fitted in around your own lifestyle and availability
As a tea partydriver,you will be responsible forpicking upone or two older guestsfrom their homes, usually on a Sunday afternoon, once a month You will drivethem to either a host's home or a community venue for an afternoon get together to socialiseandenjoy somerefreshments The parties last around two hours, after which you drive them homeagain
Please note that you must be at least 18 years old to volunteer as a driver They are looking forvolunteer driverswith the following skills and attributes:
Good conversationalskills
Considerate driving ability
Ability to navigate to new addresses
Afriendly andempathetic approach
Patience and understanding of supporting older people
Basic computer literacy (including the ability
As a tea party group coordinator, you will ensure older guests know when and where the next tea party will be held and who will be collecting them each month
This is an administrative role that requires planning and scheduling, you must be comfortable organising monthly events with volunteer hosts, socialising, communicating with people and resolving issues that might arise
You will need a DBS (England and Wales) or PVG (Scotland) for this role Sometimes, tea party group coordinators are also drivers or hosts for their group, but this is not a requirement of being a coordinator.
They are looking for tea party group coordinators with the following skills and attributes:
Excellent communication skills
Good administrative skills and IT literacy
Enjoys socialising and meeting new people
A friendly, empathetic approach
Able to solve problems
Patienceand caring
A passion for improving the lives of lonely and isolated older people
This is a flexible, home based voluntary role that can easily be fitted in around your own lifestyle and availability
Arranging the first tea party for your group is likely to take several hours of your time; once your group is up and running, however, you will be volunteering for around four hours a month (roughly broken down into two hours for a tea party and roughly two hours mostly on admin and some travel)
This is a long term voluntary role, so they are ideally looking for individuals who can commit to volunteering for at least 12 months. Expenses are paid for certain activities
Please note that you must be at least 18 years old to volunteer as a group coordinator
This is a flexible, home based voluntary role that can easily be fitted in around your own lifestyle and availability.
We created this volunteer newsletter to highlight the variety of volunteering opportunities there are in Barnsley. We wanted to showcase all there is to offer that you can do to help your community.
We first launched this newsletter in 2017 and over time, it has involved into more of a community newsletter, with volunteering still at the heart, but showcasing all kids of things that are happening in Barnsley communities Particularly during lockdown, when we didn't have many opportunities to share with you. It became a way we could communicate local support services to you all, as well as activities and local activity
You will have seen the pages grow over time, too! Our very first edition in June 2017 was only 12 pages long! Due to the length, of issues now we have recently moved over to the online platform Issuu to host the newsletter, that has allowed us to become more interactive and helps you the reader to access links easier and quicker.
However, to ensure we are producing a newsletter that people find useful, we have created a short survey for you to tell us about your experience with the newsletter This will help us to make sure the newsletter features the things you actually want to read, in a way you want to read it.
It is a short tick box survey and will take you less than 5 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous and there is space at the end to give more detail if you prefer
You can access the survey here https://forms.gle/vsNp7nz9yNDz1rtr9
A total of thirteen awards were given out at the very first Darton East Ward Alliance ‘Making a Difference’ Awards on Friday 30th September
The awards were given to individuals, groups and supporting businesses that have voluntarily had a major impact on the local area, giving their time freely and willingly to support good causes that benefit the whole of the Darton East Ward community
Nick Hibberd, Member of the Darton East Ward Alliance and part of the judging panel and sub committee coordinating the whole event, said: “Volunteering is a vital part of any thriving community which, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, account for almost 1% of the whole of the UK’s economy. This equates to a staggering £20 billion in real financial terms.
“The same report goes on to show that around 1 in 3 people, or nearly 20 million people volunteered through groups, clubs, or organisations at least once during the last 12 months It was these from our own local community that we felt was important to recognise and reward for ‘making a difference’,” he added.
The judging process started back in July, when residents and workers from the local community were invited to nominate any volunteer groups or individuals for their efforts in making Darton East a better place to live There were originally ten categories to be judged, with nominations to be submitted in writing through the Darton East Ward Alliance offices in Darton or handed in to the Mapplewell & Staincross Village Hall, where the event was organised and hosted.
“We were pleasantly surprised at the number of applications that we received for these first ever awards as we know that people can be a little sceptical about anything untried and new, but with the success of the event this year, we are more than confident that we can build on this and actively encourage many more people to nominate some of the more diverse volunteer groups that may have not been represented on this occasion,” said Nick.
The award ceremony opened with a video message of congratulations from the local MP, Dan Jarvis, who was unable to attend due to a last minute change to his own commitments The Worshipful the Mayor of Barnsley, Sarah Jane Tattersall, who was present, announced the winners and awarded the trophies and certificates Local Councillor and Chair of the Darton East Ward Alliance, Steve Hunt, acted as compare for the whole of the event, supported by Rebecca Battye of the BMBC North Area Team and Nick Hibberd
The following awards were presented
GOOD NEIGHBOUR AWARD Darton District Nursing
YOUNG VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD Darton Primary School Eco Council
BUSINESS CONTRIBUTION AWARD David and Leah Lockwood
ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD The Community Fridge
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO ARTS AND CULTURE AWARD Bob Hawes, David Robinson and St John's On Stage
COMMUNITY GROUP AWARD Greenspace Group
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO YOUNG PEOPLE'S ACTIVITIES Mrs Helen Altun
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD 1 Mrs Teresa Wilcockson
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2 Mr Gez Morrall
COMMUNITY EVENT OF THE YEAR 1 The Mapplewell & Staincross Village Hall Platinum Jubilee Celebration
COMMUNITY EVENT OF THE YEAR 2 FOMAS Beer Festival
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY AWARD Mapplewell & Staincross Village Hall
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD Carl Snowden
Details of how and where to make your nominations for the DEWA Making a Difference Awards 2023 will be released nearer to the time
Getting absorbed in a new activity is a great way to boost your wellbeing. And when facing challenges, it can really help to take a new perspective or find a new way forward. This month, Action For Happiness are encouraging you to try something new and is full of actions to help you keep learning
To apply for the volunteer opportunities in this newsletter, you can visit our website at barnsleycvs.org.uk/volunteering or make an appointment to speak to one of our volunteer advisers who can tell you more about the opportunity and help you apply.
Phone 07939521425 to make a one to one personal appointment. This will put you through to Yasmin, our volunteer coordinator.
Appointments can be conducted via phone, video call, text, email or in person at a local venue to you, by arrangement.
Our volunteer opportunities update on a daily basis, so to keep up to date and see special volunteering events, follow the volunteer centre on Twitter @VCBarnsley on Facebook @VolunteeringBarnsley and Instagram @BarnsleyCVS
If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, please visit www.barnsleycvs.org.uk/volunteering/newsletter or scan the QR code if you have a physical copy.
You can also view a high quality version of our newsletter online at https://issuu.com/barnsleycvs
The best efforts have been taken to ensure everything we have published is correct as of 1 November 2022.