Are you interested in becoming a volunteer?

We are looking for responsible, motivated and empathic female volunteers to work with women who access Brighton Women Centre.

Brighton Women’s Centre welcomes applications from women interested in supporting women with vulnerabilities including those experiencing mental and emotional distress, trauma, abuse, substance misuse, financial and social exclusion and isolation. Volunteers need to be accepting, flexible and reflective whilst respecting confidentiality, working within appropriate boundaries and recognising the agency of service users at all times.

We are looking for female volunteers to become:

Facilitators: Facilitators will work in the peer group service providing empathic and practical support. Volunteer facilitators offer information, guidance and signposting to service users as well as holding activity based peer support sessions. We ask Peer Group facilitators to commit to volunteering between 3.5-5 hours a week

Mentors: Mentors will offer woman-centred one to one support to service users. Mentors will support their mentee to identify areas of support on which the mentoring relationship will focus and work towards achieving these goals. This may involve meeting in community locations, accompanying to appointments, accessing services and offering support. We ask Mentors to commit to volunteering between 3-4 hours a week.

Our current vacancies are:

Peer Group Drop-In on Monday afternoons 12noon-4pm

Peer Group Drop-In on Tuesday evening 4.30pm-8pm

Peer Group Drop-In on Thursday mornings 9.30am-1pm

Food Bank on Wednesdays from 11am-3.30pm

Pop-up Cafe on Wednesdays from 12noon-3.30pm

Mentors – times flexible but mentors support women for between 2-3 hours a week, Monday-Friday during office hours

What training do volunteers receive?

Volunteers will receive induction training, on-going training and regular supervision from the Volunteer Services Coordinators. We are able to cover reasonable local travel expenses. We offer references after 1 year of volunteering with us.

We welcome applications from women who are 40+, women from Black and Minority Ethnic groups and women who identify as LGBTQ.

Description of volunteering role:

1. / To offer guidance and support to service users either on a one-to-one basis or in a group setting.
2. / To accompany service users to appointments, activities and meetings when appropriate.
3. / To maintain confidentiality and boundaries of BWC
4. / To abide by the organisation’s policies and procedures including the Adult and Child Safeguarding policies.
5. / To attend supervision and review sessions, training programmes, volunteer meetings.
6. / To keep written records.
7. / To complete all monitoring and evaluation relevant to the post and to provide accurate and up to date information on request.
Personal skills for volunteer mentors and facilitators
  1. To be warm and welcoming.
  1. To be able to display empathy and have good listening skills.
  1. To be able to manage in a crisis.
  1. Understanding of the needs of women with vulnerabilities.
  1. Desire to learn and develop new skills.
  1. The ability to be flexible, punctual, reliable, enthusiastic and committed.
  1. We ask that volunteers commit to a minimum of one year following their Induction training. References are provided after one year of volunteering.
  1. To be non-judgemental in your approach.
  1. To have a good level of literacy, numeric ability and spoken
English.
  1. To be able to work within the Centre’s policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities, Boundaries and Confidentiality and Health and Safety.
  1. To be able to work on your own initiative and as part of a team.
  1. To provide one-to-one support and / or facilitate group activities.
  1. To be able to prepare and plan for sessions.
  1. To be able to accurately record and complete session notes and monitoring forms.
Desirable
  1. Knowledge of services available to women living and working in Brighton and Hove
  1. Knowledge of how to do word processing, e-mail and Internet.
  1. Knowledge of safeguarding adults and children.

*This post is exempt under para 7 (2) of the Sex Discrimination Act and subject to an enhanced level CRB check

To apply please fill out the application form and return to:

You will also need to complete an equal opportunities monitoring form:

22 Richmond Place, Brighton, BN2 9NA 01273 698036, ,

Patron: Baroness Joyce Gould Registered Charity: 1003790

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