Volunteering Home

Volunteers are at the centre of the Students' Union, and the Students' Union is at the centre of volunteering.

Volunteers produce our fortnightly newspaper, present 8 hours of radio each day, raise money for the local and global communities and provide invaluable welfare services. They put something really important into the Union and continue to make it run by students and for students.

Why should I volunteer? Employers love volunteers, you can get valuable transferable skills that you can't necessarily find in your course. You get to do amazing things - RUSU volunteers' scuba-dive, play music to millions of people on the internet and help out students stranded in town. You put something back. Imagine how it must feel to know that 17,000 students read your column in Spark each fortnight or you are there for someone when no-one else is.

Volunteers can represent their fellow students as Student Academic Reps

Volunteers get that feeling all the time. You meet new people ? Make friends outside your course or Halls.

"In a Community Service Volunteers (CSV) survey last year,... one in five 18 to 24-year-olds... said volunteering had improved their sex lives, especially those who offered their professional skills, or got involved in conservation or heritage work." - From BBC website

All student volunteers are elligible to enrol on the MASIV accreditation scheme to receive five non-academic credits on their degree transcript.

The Students' Union is able to offer a wide variety of volunteering opportunities within the local community. To find out more contact volunteer@reading.ac.uk

Looking for Summer volunteering?

Volunteers needed for Marshlands Square Summer Play Club for children with Autism, severe learning disability and challenging behaviour

So if you are able to offer some time between 28 July - 29 August and are over 18 please contact Lix Aldersley, The Avenue School, Basingstoke Road, Reading RG2 0EN Telephone 0118 901 5595

This will be a valuable and exciting opportunity to join the team and gain experience working with this client group

Please note: volunteers will have to be police checked, as is the case for everyone working with children

 

Opportunities as of 13.05.08

These opportunities are provided courtesy of Reading Voluntary Action. All the Reading voluntary sector in one place ­ www.rvadirectory.org.uk

Volunteer Centre Reading, seeks a volunteer with good communication and IT skills to welcome prospective volunteers on Mondays 10am-2pm, access suitable information on voluntary opportunities for them from the Volunteer Centre database and deal with telephone, internet and email enquiries about volunteering.

Age Concern Berkshire seeks volunteers with a clean driving licence, common sense and a knowledge of benefits and of Social Services to take patients home in the volunteer's own car following discharge from hospital, making sure the patients have heat/light/food at home and make 2 further visits on the following 2 days. The volunteer may be asked to do shopping, collect prescriptions etc. Time commitment would be 2 hours on any 3 consecutive days. Structured 3-day training is provided. References and Police checks are required.

Mpende Jirani, a organisation seeking to alleviate poverty in Kenya seeks a volunteer with book keeping experience to become a Committee member and assist with fundraising. Time commitment is 2 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. References and Police checks are required.

Sue Ryder Care Nettlebed seeks volunteers with confidence and sensitivity

(a)and creative skills to work with Day Care staff, organising weekly activities including art/crafts, games, talks and performances; also to lead activities agreed with Occupational Therapist/Day Care Manager and observe behaviour/response of patients and relatives and feedback to staff.

Classes take place on Mondays 10am-3.30pm and Thursdays 10.30am-4pm.

(b)to prepare Day Care rooms for patients, greet patients on arrival, assist with refreshments, serve lunch and provide activities, walk/push wheelchair in grounds. Sessions of 6 hours on either Wednesdays and/or Thursdays are required.

References and Police checks are required in each case. An Induction Day prior to starting and follow-up day after 6-8 weeks are also given.

1 st Shinfield (St Mary's) Scout Group seeks volunteers to assist with running Beaver Scout section(6-8 year old boys and girls) for 2 hours on Monday evenings 5.30-6.45pm and occasional weekend events organised by district or county and church parade 3-4 times a year. Training as per the Scout Association Training programme is provided and support is given by the Scouts and District Group. References and Police checks are required.

Inspire4Life seeks volunteers with an interest in bicycle maintenance, to run after school bicycle maintenance sessions for children in years 3-6, 1 day per week in term time after school in 4-6 week blocks. 4 weeks training is provided starting on 29 May, 3.15-5.15pm. References and Police checks are required.

Mothertongue seeks volunteers with experience and training in ESOL to teach very basic ESOL to a small group. Pupils may or may not be literate in their own language. A maximum of 2-4 hours per week on days that can be flexible are required. Induction to the organisation and support in organising the class will be provided. References and Police checks are required.

Reading Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) seeks volunteers who have good interpersonal and IT skills, are calm under pressure and a team worker to welcome clients and ascertain needs to work with advisors and supervisors in assisting clients to access appropriate information. Training takes place one morning a week over 6 weeks. Time commitment of 2 shifts of 3 hours a week between Monday and Friday would be required, also references and Police checks.

Reading Community Learning Centre seeks volunteers with strong commitment to intercultural understanding

(a)to become Board members, advising on financial strategy and policy, financial plans, budgets, forecasting systems, record keeping and reporting, operational and project funding. Induction and RVA training where appropriate is provided, also advice and support from RVA.Meeting times (3 hours) are negotiated to suit Board members ­ day-time at present

(b) to become support workers/classroom assistants/voluntary teachers for craft activities, speaking and listening classes and reminiscence work.

Sessions are 2 hours 9.30-11.30, 12.30-14.30. Other days and times to be arranged. Induction and training as required is given References and Police checks are required.

Sunday June 1st is 'Run for the Children' day in Prospect Park.They need volunteers to help with car parking, registration, marshalling, medal presentation and general clearing up after the event.

If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please visit us at the Volunteer Centre Reading, 8 Cross Street, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday between 10am ­ 2pm. If you cannot visit the Centre, email at vol2@volaction.demon.co.uk