Derwentside Council for Voluntary Services and Volunteer Bureau
supporting the voluntary and community sector of Derwentside

Our aim is to find a voluntary placement that is right for you.

Most of our volunteering opportunities are listed on Do-It.org, the National Volunteering Website. To search for a range of volunteering opportunities across Derwentside, please click here to go to www.doit.org.uk. For our latest local volunteering vacancies please look below.

You are welcome to come along to see us to talk about the types of volunteering you may be interested in or any particular type of group you would like to work with. We will discuss all of the options with you and talk through what you will expect from different organisations.

We can show you a range of different volunteering opportunities and you can choose the one[s] that interest you.

We will put you in touch with the organisations you choose and can go along with you if you need some extra support

There are a range of interest areas for volunteering and opportunities for you to use your existing skills or gain new ones.

Examples include:

Advice Work	Befriending & Buddying	Business & Management	Campaigning & Lobbying	Caring
Catering	Children	Committee Work & Trustees	Community Work	Computers & Technology
Disabilities	Domestic Violence	Driving	Education & Literacy	Environmental
Event organising	Fundraising	Health	Hospitals & Hospices	Languages
Marketing	PR & Media	Mentoring	Prisoners & Ex-Offenders	Race, Ethnicity & Refugees
Retail & Charity	Sport & Outdoor Activities	Teaching & Training	Women’s Groups	Youth Work

 

 

Volunteering opportunities in Derwentside  

Consett Community Association - volunteer supervisor

The Chill Inn does what the title says, it gives a safe haven for teenagers to be without being hassled by adults.  The Association are looking for a person or persons to supervise in a relaxed and open manner letting the children do what they want within reason.

Other agencies will visit from time to time to give out information or just for a chat with the children but the main point of this project is to give the children somewhere warm to sit and chat instead of hanging around the parks and other public places.

The person/persons looking after the chill Inn would need to be able to communicate with the children in an easy going way making the children feel at ease.

Consett & District YMCA

This is an opportunity to develop your portfolio of work experience and gain some new skills.  You need to be dynamic, outgoing & adventurous – we will put you through your paces!

Volunteers are needed with basic IT skills, good time keeping, you need to be physically fit and a driving licence would be helpful.

Opportunity:  Maintenance Person                      Minimum Age:          21 years old

To maintain all aspects within the YMCA Buildings, looking after hostel rooms, officer, community gym, small workshop available and tools, work gear will be provided (overalls, boots etc).

Do you have good time commitment, knowledge of DIY, woodwork, tiling, basic plumbing.

Opportunity:  Painter and Decorator         Minimum Age:          18 years old

To work around the YMCA Building completing renovation, painting and decorating tasks.

Opportunity:  Gardener                               Minimum Age:          25 years old

To maintain all gardens and help out on community allotment, also working with small groups of young people.  Do you have good knowledge of gardening techniques, horticulture, propagation and lawn maintenance.

Opportunity:  Outdoor Assistant with Activities   Minimum Age:  18 years old

To help out with our very busy Outdoor Activity Division.  Do you have qualifications and experience of working with young people in an outdoor activity setting.

Opportunity:  Driver                                     Minimum Age:          25 years old

Do you hold a D1 driving license, do you have good knowledge of the local area.  Drivers are needed to pick up and deliver back groups of young people and workers from across Derwentside.

Cruse Bereavement Care – Bereavement Volunteer

To provide advice and support to bereaved people and offer information and advice to anyone who has been affected by death.  Full training will be provided.

DISC Ltd – one to one befriender

Volunteers are needed to become befrienders to someone with a learning disability.  The volunteer will be carefully matched up with someone with similar interests of about the same age and will be asked to accompany their friend twice a month to a variety of activities.

Hassockfield Secure Training Centre – learning support

To help support young people in custody to learn to read etc either in a group or one to one.  All training will be given which will include training in security and personal safety.  Their will be an opportunity for all volunteers to be funded to do level 2 or 3 qualification in learning support and to complete placements for this course with ourselves.

Lanchester Valley Conservation Volunteers

Are you interested in protecting local wildlife and habitats, meeting new/likeminded people, getting outdoors and keeping fit and gaining experience in practical conservation management.  Volunteers are needed to come and join the Lanchester Valley Conservation Volunteers working in and around the Parish of Lanchester.  Work will be seasonal and varied, and no experience is necessary as full training will be given at the start of every task. 

Quaking Houses Kids Club

To volunteer would be an opportunity for anyone who would like to work with children from 5 years to 12 years old, boys and girls with different needs to amusing and bonding with them through play and different activities.

Volunteers must be able to talk and listen to the children and be able to join in with a variety of activities including indoor ball games etc.

SHAID – photographer

SHAID require a photographer or keen amateur for a small photograph project as part of SHAIDs Lifeskills Programme.

St Stephens Centre - Community Café

Need volunteers to help prepare and serve food, wash up.  Community Café is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9am-2pm and Thursdays 9am-12pm.

National Energy Action (NEA) – rural energy champions

Following recent energy price rises, fuel poverty levels could reach an all time high of 6.1 million households in the UK by the end of 2011-2012.  County Durham has one of the worst fuel poverty records in the country, specifically in the areas of Derwentside, Teesdale and Weardale.  Vulnerable households on low incomes, particularly those with older people, families with children, those with disabilities and people with long-term/chronic illness are most susceptible to cold damp homes, in terms of poor physical and mental health, social isolation and reduced life chances.

We are looking for Rural Energy Champions to help find these vulnerable people in rural Durham, and help signpost them to information and advice to enable them escape fuel poverty and keep warm affordably.  Anyone can become a Rural Energy Champion as long as they have contact with people within their local community either as neighbours, family and friends and/or as a member of a local voluntary group, sports club etc.

We would like Energy Champions to:

·         Attend a one-day energy awareness event to learn more about basic energy efficiency issues and solutions

·         Commit a small amount of time each month to their energy champion activities

·         Promote simple energy efficiency messages and top tips to around 15 local residents using the resources provided in the NEA information pack

·         Maintain monthly email and/or telephone contact with NEA

• Give feedback on householders that have been engaged with the project.

Willow Burn hospice – Store room coordinator

We are looking for volunteers, working in pairs, to help with the collection and sorting of donated goods.  It entails sorting donated stock in to the relevant area, interfacing with our 2 shops and main site to collect stock and transport it to our local store room.

This is an exciting opportunity, enabling the volunteers to see the kindness and good nature of people within the Derwentside area.

Additional volunteer vacancies

We have vacancies for the above volunteer role.  We also have some others including, cash counting, home based E bay sellers and kitchen assistants.

WRVS

Our shops, cafés and trolleys serve hospital patients, staff and visitors with the added warmth of friendly understanding volunteers.

Volunteers are needed to help run the service or serve customers, take payment or prepare drinks and snacks and provide a listening ear. Volunteers ensure the outlet is stocked properly and that it is kept clean and tidy as expected in a hospital environment.

This is an ideal opportunity if you want to want to make a difference to the lives of older people in your local community and your local hospital, make new friends and develop skills in catering, retail and working in a hospital environment. No specific skills or qualifications required but friendly, outgoing personalities would help in this role.

E-achieve

E-achieve are looking for Volunteer Support Tutors to assist their tutors in delivering Level 1 and Level 2 ICT training to adult learners.

You must be aged 19+, and you will need to be CRB checked.  You must be competent in ICT to at least Level 2, or be able to demonstrate aptitude to achieve Level 2.  For a full list of duties and requirements, please download the information sheet here.

Victim Support

Giving free and confidential emotional support and practical help to people affected by crime.

We normally expect Victim Support volunteers to commit to be available for a minimum of two hours a week.  Working times are flexible as appointments with clients can be made during the day, in the evenings (up to 8pm) or at weekends.  You will also be expected to attend ongoing training and meetings.

Witness Service

Giving free and confidential support and information to help witnesses and their supporters (such as family and friends) to deal with the experience of attending court to give evidence.

We normally expect our Witness Service volunteers to be available for a minimum of 9.00am to 5pm one day a fortnight (weekdays only).  We also ask Witness Service volunteers to attend training events and occasional meetings.

Stanley Youth Centre - Management Committee

Stanley Youth Centre are looking for people who feel they can make a difference to young people’s lives in the Stanley area. We hold a Management Committee meeting every 1st Wednesday of the month, 7pm at Stanley Youth Centre and we are in need of committed new members to join our Committee.