Becoming a Community Partner

Becoming a Community Partner About Bristol Hub Bristol Hub was set up in 2008 to support University of Bristol students to learn about social challenges in their local area, and connect with each other to tackle these challenges. We do this by facilitating student-led social action, from volunteering projects to skilled placements within the social sector. We hope this will allow both students and their communities to develop, and encourage students to remain engaged in social action beyond their time at university.

We are part of a national charity called Student Hubs. Student Hubs was founded in 2007 in Oxford, and has since spread to become a network of Hubs across several UK universities.  

Our student volunteers currently take part in a range of projects, which tackle a range of issues, including educational disadvantage, food waste, loneliness among older people, and the refugee crisis in Bristol.

Our 2016/17 Impact

189 long-term volunteers

43

community

projects

673

beneficiaries

Bristol Hub

3rd Floor Richmond Building, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1LN info@bristolhub.org www.bristolhub.org

Bristol Hub is the place to come if you want to do something that’s not just about doing good to people. It is actually about becoming part of a community, and helping to keep that community vibrant.

Wendy Hodsdon, Community Partner at St Monica Trust retirement villages

How do we select and train our volunteers?

All of our volunteers must fill out an application form. They are then invited to a selection workshop, where they are provided with information about Bristol Hub, the Community Partner that they will be volunteering with, the social issue the project addresses and how they can help to tackle it, and what we require from our volunteers.

In these sessions we provide volunteers with relevant training, and run activities that allow them to engage with the social issue and get to know each other.

We can provide adult or child safeguarding training when relevant. Volunteers are then taken through an induction with your organisation, after which they are ready to begin volunteering.

Volunteers who need a DBS certificate can obtain them free of charge from the University of Bristol Students Union.

What we expect from our volunteers: • Volunteers must complete all relevant training and induction sessions before volunteering, as • • • • •

well as safeguarding training and a DBS check where relevant Volunteering is as student-led as possible, with plenty of opportunities for development. Each project has a student project coordinator, and sometimes a committee, and these student leaders are responsible for recruiting volunteers and running the project We expect volunteers to take their volunteering commitments seriously, and respect the time of both beneficiaries and Community Partners by meeting the required time commitments Volunteers will inform the relevant point of contact in plenty of time if they are unable to attend a session, so that this information can be passed onto you, or another relevant point of contact in your organisation Volunteers will inform us of any changes in their availability Volunteers will report any safeguarding concerns to both the relevant point of contact at your organisation, and a member of Bristol Hub staff

Our volunteering projects run from October to May. Most students take a break from volunteering during Christmas, Easter and Summer breaks, and during exam periods. However, those who are staying in Bristol are encouraged to continue volunteering.

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What we expect from our Community Partners • Assign a main point of contact for both Hub staff and student coordinators • Provide an induction for new volunteers, including information about your policies and • • • • • •

procedures, useful contact details, tour of the location (an induction template will be provided to you) Provide a safe volunteering environment, and have the appropriate health and safety procedures and liability insurance in place before volunteering begins Treat volunteers with respect, value their time, and understand that their availability might change during exam and holiday periods Keep Bristol Hub staff updated about any changes relevant to the volunteering project, such as a change in contact details Complete our monitoring and evaluation surveys (they will be sent to you 2-3 times a year), and share any ongoing feedback with Bristol Hub Work with Bristol Hub staff to define parameters of suitable volunteering for your project In some cases, Community Partners provide materials, transport, and/or refreshments - this varies on a case-by-case basis

How we support our Community Partners: We aim for our projects to be as student-led as possible, in order to have the highest level of impact on our volunteers’ development. Students are usually the main point of contact for a Community Partner. However, each Hub has a dedicated staff team to ensure the sustainability of our projects. Hub staff provide support for Community Partners in the following ways: • Hub staff provide students with training and project development support, to ensure the delivery of a high quality volunteering project • We can provide advice for Community Partners, such as a template for volunteer inductions • We provide regular feedback opportunities. In addition to our monitoring and evaluation forms, Hub staff are always contactable if you have any suggestions or concerns, and we are always receptive to feedback • Hub Staff keep Community Partners updated with any organisational changes, and maintain a project if a student leader has to step down • We can inform you about the other opportunities we could provide your organisation, such as the Social Innovation Programme (our pro-bono student consultancy service), or the Social Impact Internship Scheme (a voluntary placement scheme, where we match students with an organisation in the social sector)

Get in touch: General enquires: Emma Manion, Bristol Hub Manager: manager@bristolhub.org Setting up a volunteering project: Josephine Harwood, Bristol Hub Programme Manager: josephine.harwood@bristolhub.org

Strategic Partners: Sustainability Bristol Hub is a branch of Student Hubs, a registered charity in England and Wales, number 1122328.