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Many Great Things To Do For Budding Volunteers

Published on: 3 Sep, 2022
Updated on: 3 Sep, 2022

A round up of some of the latest volunteering opportunities that Voluntary Action South West Surrey is helping to promote.

Be a community champion

Surrey Community Action is recruiting people to be community champions.

These are volunteers who helps residents in their community to stay up to date with the latest advice about health matters, such as Covid, as well as wellbeing and important sources of financial support.

Surrey Community Action says: “Champions will help people to get clear and trustworthy information from reliable sources and will feedback problems and concerns to local councils and health authorities.

“Volunteers will become part of the Surrey Community Champions Network, so they can share issues and ideas with one another and with local authorities to help communities to stay as safe and strong as possible.”

It wants to grow the Community Champions network, particularly from people who are part of residents’ groups and faith groups, adding. “We are particularly keen to recruit people who are in under-represented groups, to help give them a voice and empower their communities. Training and support will be provided.”

Ideal volunteers will have good social and listening skills, be able to give and receive feedback, are reliable and dependable, can work alongside others in a non-judgemental and respectful way, willing to appreciate people’s right to make decisions for themselves and ave a sensitive and caring attitude towards others.

More details from co-ordinator Dianne Roberts on 01483 447127, or email to dianner@surreyca.org.uk

Join Merrist Wood College’s volunteer gardening group

Merrist Wood College in Worplesdon is inviting people to join its gardening group, in which you can learn new horticultural skills, and iis deal if you want to get active and meet new people.

It is open to people aged 19 and over and the college says it might be of particular interest to people who are over the age of 65, or those employed and earning a salary of less than £17,004 per year, or in receipt of state benefits, a single parent, have social or emotional difficulties, have a mental health condition or difficulty, or from an ethnic minority group, have a disability or is a carer.

The college’s volunteer co-ordinator Rachel Benneworth said: “Our volunteer gardeners meet in small friendly groups, learn some horticultural skills, get some gentle exercise whilst in the lovely grounds at Merrist Wood.

“We currently are working on our wellbeing garden and will also start a new project, building a sensory garden for our special educational needs unit from September.

“We also have an allotment group on a Monday where people can come and learn how to grow produce.

“Both projects were borne from the pandemic, giving access to people who would like to get their hands dirty and improve mental health and wellbeing.”

All gardening equipment is provided. For more details send an email to gardeningmerristwood@activatelearning.ac.uk or phone the college on 0800 612 60008.

If you like bird watching… read on

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to visit two care homes (Godalming and Woking) to talk with residents about the beautiful nature of its Farnham Heath Nature Reserve, at Tilford.

This is part of an innovative project that will see footage streamed from a webcam being installed at the reserve into care homes helping residents to feel closer to nature.

It is a trial initiative that will be shared across the RSPB and if successful will be expanded to other care homes in Surrey and elsewhere.

The RSPB says there is great flexibility over the time commitment needed for this role which will involve working closely with the Farnham Heath Nature Reserve team and visits to one or two local care homes.

Apply on line only, for the link, click here.

Voluntary Action South West Surrey lists hundreds of roles for volunteers on behalf of organisation, groups, charities, and so on, across the boroughs of Guildford and Waverley and beyond. You can can also call into its office at 39 Castle Street, Guildford GU1 3UQ (Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4pm) for help and advice on volunteering, or send an email to volunteer@vasws.org.uk

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