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Abbot's Hospital - helping people in need
Abbot's Hospital - local Almhouse providing much needed affordable homes
Abbot’s Hospital is a local charitable almshouse providing homes to 21 households in need, within a supportive and caring environment. The almshouse, opened over 400 years ago in the Grade 1 listed historic building fronting the High Street in Guildford. It is one of the few buildings in the town that has been used continuously for its original purpose since being built and is now a very special place in the town.
We are looking for volunteers to join our great team who not only support our residents but help safeguard the building for future generations. We have a variety of opportunities available for anyone wanting to make difference to peoples lives.
If any of the opportunities below interest you, do get in touch to find out more using the application link below.
Website : Abbot's Hospital
Abbot's Hospital - volunteering opportunities
Tour guide
Volunteer Tour Guide
Abbot's Hospital have been running tours of our Grade I Jacobean almshouse for nearly 20 years and we couldn’t do it without our team of volunteer tour guides!
Our tour guides are passionate volunteers, coming from all walks of life and bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and experience. They all have a love for the building and sharing their passion with the many visitors we receive every year. It is truly one of the town jewels
- Tours generally run between April and October - twice a week 11am to 1pm.
- Knowledge of local history would be an advantage, but it is not essential. Training is provided.
British Regional Transport Association
Mission Statement
The British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) is a voluntary membership-based, pro-public transport improvement association with several of its projects having a nationwide positive benefit and impact. Membership is open to all.
General Interests
Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards
Mission Statement
Buckinghamshire and Surrey County Council Trading Standards Service aims to create an environment of confident consumers and trusted traders by providing advice and guidance to consumers and businesses. However there will be occasions when a range of different actions may be necessary to deal with cases where trading standards laws have been breached by businesses or others. Our work, campaigns and projects can be found on the Business and consumers page: http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/business-and-consumers/trading-standards
General Interests
Catalyst (Guildford)
Mission Statement
Catalyst is a non-profit organisation working with people who are dealing with issues stemming from drug and alcohol misuse and mental health.
Guildford-based for over 30 years, we work throughout Surrey and its borders in partnership with a wide variety of statutory and non-statutory organisations and bodies to provide support.
Kindness Integrity, Commitment
General Interests
Healthwatch Surrey (Guildford)
Mission Statement
Healthwatch Surrey is an independent champion that gives the people of Surrey a voice to improve, shape and get the best from health and social care services by empowering local people and communities.
General Interests
Home-Start Guildford
Mission Statement
"There for parents when they need us most, because childhood can't wait"
Parents Supporting Other Parents - a simple idea that really works!
Home-Start Guildford has been supporting local families across the Guildford Borough for over 25 years.
We're a non-judgemental organisations that helps local parents who are struggling, for any reason. Some of those reasons may include; multiple births, mental health, an abusive partner, isolation, mental or physical handicap, or the pressure that loss of employment brings to a family.
What we do
Our charity provides a preventative service that aims to support families who are struggling by offering regular volunteer support to parents with at least one child under the age of 5, usually referred to us by Health Visitors.
We provide one-to-one support for parents:
Our volunteers visit the family’s home for a couple of hours every week. They tailor-make their support to the needs of the parents and children. Volunteers are very committed and will keep visiting until the youngest child turns five or starts school, or until the parents feel they can stand on their own two feet. Parents and volunteers often develop a deeply trusting relationship which can lead to powerful change within the family.
We also run two family groups for referred families, one in the Pirbright Community Centre and the other in the Guildford Family Group, Hazel Avenue.
Our values
- We offer families choice
- We work in partnership - with each other, with families and with other agencies
- We work in a spirit of openness, encouragement and enjoyment
- We are flexible and responsive to the needs of families
Volunteering Opportunities
There are several ways that you can help in a voluntary capacity:
- by supporting a family as a Home-Visiting Volunteer
- by helping at one of our Family Groups
- by joining the Trustee Board
- by becoming a Friend of Home-Start Guildford
- by supporting us as a Digital / Office Volunteer
Please see the volunteer roles listed for more detail.
General Interests
Could you be a Home-Visiting Volunteer?
Home-visiting volunteers come from many different backgrounds and vary in age but all are either parents themselves or have parenting experience and are carefully selected for their friendliness and understanding. They provide informal, friendly emotional support and practical help to families.
All our home visiting volunteers attend a preparation course, undergo an enhanced DBS check and provide two references before being matched with a family who they will visit once a week, for approximately 2-3 hours.
Volunteers take their own individual skills and experience to the families they visit. Talking and listening can empower families to overcome their difficult situations. Visits might include holding the baby while mum has a shower, playing with twin toddlers while mum has a sleep, taking parents shopping and showing them how to budget, being a listening ear to relieve isolation, modelling positive parenting and play.
Volunteers are offered on-going training and support activities including specialist speakers, as well as informal social gatherings.
What we offer you:
- An ongoing commitment to help volunteers fulfil their roles to the best of their ability
- Comprehensive and up-to-date information about Home-Start
- Individual interview with one of our co-ordinators before commencing training
- Free initial training before you commence as a home-visiting volunteer
- Opportunities for regular ongoing training
- Appropriate support and supervision, both individually and at volunteer support group meetings
- A thorough matching service when matching volunteers to new families
- Re-imbursement of travel expenses
- Annual volunteer social events
What we ask from you:
- To be familiar and committed to the Home-Start ethos
- To attend the preparation course, ongoing training and individual / group support meetings
- To reliably visit and support at least one family on a regular basis (minimum 2-3 hours per week), for a period of at least one year
- To keep and return Home-Start records promptly
- To abide by Home-Start guidelines on confidentially
- To complete annual safeguarding training and to annually sign the Code of Conduct
- To be aware of and work within Home-Start's guidelines on Child Protection
- To understand and implement Home-Start's polices on Equal Opportunities and Health & Safety
- To ensure your car is adequately insured, if transporting families
If you would like to find out more, to make an enquiry, please fill in an application and someone will be in touch with you.
Charity Trustees
The Role and What We Are Looking for in a New Trustee
We are looking to recruit new Trustees with experience in marketing and fundraising, and/or with a strong Guildford network.
There is no requirement for you to have been a trustee before, however, you do need to be passionate about improving the lives of children and the families we support. You will be good at working with others, ready to speak up and ask questions, be thoughtful and open to learning, and able to stand back to see the bigger picture. You must take the responsibilities of a Trustee seriously.
We are looking to better reflect the experiences of our community, to bring the skills and experiences of diverse Trustees to the Board. We are looking to better reflect the experiences of our community, to bring the skills and experiences of diverse Trustees to the Board. We are particularly interested in hearing from individuals with experience around marketing and fundraising, and/or with a strong Guildford network.
Trustees are the people who make the top-level decisions for our charity. Our Board includes people with experience and skills in early years, education, and business. We expect new trustees to have empathy with our cause and our beneficiaries. Support from local charity-support organisations is always available, and a full induction to our organisation will be provided, including access to external training.
If you can think strategically and plan long-term, you have the primary skills needed by our trustees. You’ll also need to be able to work collectively with other Board members. Support from our paid employees is always available, as they handle the day-to-day running of the organisation.
We are a charity, not a business, but we apply business principles to governing our organisation. We are looking for people from a variety of backgrounds to join our charity. We want to expand the diversity of our board in all meanings of the word and strongly welcome applications from people from less-represented groups.
We ask for about six hours of your time per month, and the ability to join face to face board meetings in Guildford that are usually held every 6-8 weeks on a Monday or Friday morning.
What does becoming a trustee involve?
As part of the trustee role, you will be expected to:
- Attend, and prepare for, a minimum of six meetings per year.
- Undergo a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check.
- Undergo a selection process as outlined by Home-Start Guildford.
- Commit to the legal and financial responsibilities of the role, as outlined in the charity’s Constitution (‘Foundation’ model constitution).
- Visit and engage with the office and staff to enhance your understanding of how Home-Start Guildford works.
Training and Support?
Trustees are fully inducted into Home-Start before beginning their new role; they will receive:
- An online welcome event and e-learning, introducing Home-Start’s service and your responsibilities.
- Training in key areas including safeguarding.
- Reimbursement of paid expenses.
- Access to Home-Start’s online community via HSUK intranet – full of information and guidance on running a local Home-Start.
- Tailored support by other trustees and staff.
What do you get as a volunteer trustee with our organisation?
- An opportunity to exercise your strategic planning skills, probably in a different environment or context.
- An opportunity to influence and collectively lead an organisation supporting families of young children.
- A chance to expand and implement your understanding of our work.
- A chance to augment your experience of charities.
- A boost to your career and CV, if needed.
- Satisfaction of helping an organisation that supports families, thus giving something back to your community.
- Induction training from us; training, support, and assistance from local charity-support & advice agencies; reimbursement of reasonable expenses, if needed.
What do we get?
- Your strategic skills, knowledge, understanding, or experience.
- Your abilities to influence plans for our charity’s future, especially in this cost-of-living crisis.
- Enhancement to our overall governance and the Board of trustees; improvement in our operational growth.
- Your participation in our collective decision-making, contributing to all areas of our charity work.
- Your enthusiasm.
All prospective volunteers must have the legal right to stay in the United Kingdom and you will be asked to produce evidence of this as part of the induction process.
For more information, please visit our website: Trustees | Home-Start Guildford.
Volunteer for the Friends of HSG Group
- Research opportunities and appropriate events where HSG can promote their services / recruit volunteers
- Organise a HSG stall and the volunteers to support this
- Plan, organise and run fundraising events eg coffee mornings, craft events
- Support others who are fundraising for us
- Build networks with local businesses to raise our profile and encourage them to support our work
- A chance to learn new skills
- A chance to gain experience in event management
- The opportunity to make new friends and build social networks
- The opportunity to contribute to vital work supporting families with young children
Digital / Office Volunteer
Home-Start Guildford is looking for a Digital / Office Volunteer. If your interests and skills lie in social media or are office based, we are always happy to welcome anyone who has regular availability to volunteer, or who can offer ad hoc one off sessions.
As a digital / office volunteer you will have the opportunity to:
- A chance to learn new skills
- Skills and experience to add to your CV
- Share and develop your knowledge, skills and networks
- Be part of the wider Home-Start movement in Surrey
Training and Support:
Volunteers are the heart of Home-Start Guildford. In joining our dedicated and friendly team, you will:
- receive a full induction
- meet other like-minded people
- meet regularly with, and be supported by, one of our members of staff
- have access to training activities including specialist speakers
- be invited to volunteer social events (including a free Christmas Lunch event)
- receive regular updates and newsletters
- be able to claim travel expenses when visiting a family
All our volunteers are required to sign the Safeguarding and Protecting Children Code of Conduct, which is introduced to volunteers as part of their induction and indicates that they fully understand and are committed to Home-Start’s Policy and procedures for Safeguarding and Protecting Children.
All volunteers are also required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring check, at a level relevant to the position.
What does the time commitment look like?
We are grateful for any time you can spare, whether this is a few hours on a regular basis, one day a week or just an agreed amount of time for a set project. Our offices are open 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday, however as our staff follow a hybrid working pattern, there are occasions when the office is unmanned.
Depending on the type of role you do, once you have completed your induction, you may be able to do some of your volunteering working from home.
Visit our website for more information: www.hsguildford.org.uk
Museum of Farnham
Mission Statement
The Museum of Farnham is housed in Willmer House, a Grade I listed building with many original features and a delightful walled garden.
Here you can discover the tales of William Cobbett and George Sturt whilst marveling at the inventions of John Henry Knight. Over the years Farnham has been home to many artists and craftsmen and the Museum has a fine collection by local artists including Stephen Elmer, WH Allen, Harold Falkner and Sir John Verney, as well as Farnham Greenware.
Our local studies library is a treasure trove of information on Farnham which cannot be found anywhere else. We have maps, census data, parish records, electoral rolls, street directories, newspapers, a photographic archive and more.
The walled garden is a hidden treasure of Farnham, with a tranquil and serene feel year round. Our Garden Gallery is a popular venue and available for hire for parties, exhibitions, talks and much more.
General Interests
Sime gallery CIO
Mission Statement
Sidney Herbert Sime (1865-1941), Sime Gallery at Worplesdon Memorial Hall GU3 3RF.
A talented illustrator, oil painter, landscapes and caricatures of the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Sime Gallery is a unique collection of 800 pieces of his work. He lived from 1904-1941 in Worplesdon and after his widow Mary's death in 1949 his works were bequeathed to the trustees of Worplesdon Memorial Hall. Today, the collection is known as Sime Gallery, a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). The objective is to preserve the collection and make it available for the public to view.
General Interests
Smart Cranleigh
Mission Statement
SMART Cranleigh is a village initiative focused on promoting good quality of life for local people by enabling local organisations to work together more effectively. We aim to support community led projects that make a positive difference to the lives of local people. Our vision is to help local people connect with their community and empower them to find the local support they want. We are non-political, non-denominational and non-governmental.
General Interests
Surrey Remap
Mission Statement
Surrey Remap is the local group representing the national charity Remap (www.remap.org.uk).
The objective of this charity is to design and make custom equipment for the disabled when such equipment is not available commercially.
A visit to the website will demonstrate that this often involves quite simple devices, modifications to existing equipment, and even some quite complex projects. Remap comprises a very small Head Office and a countrywide network of volunteer 'engineers' and handymen, who work from their own home workshops.
General Interests
The Spike Heritage Centre (Guildford)
Mission Statement
The Spike Heritage Centre is one of the few buildings remaining from Guildford's Workhouse in the Poor Law era, which housed the forgotten classes of Victorian England. The Vagrants and Casual Ward, known as The Spike was built in 1906 to house vagrants and low paid workers. After the Poor Laws ended in 1929, it continued as a night hostel until the mid 1960s. The NHS took over the site becoming St Lukes Hospital, operational until the mid 1990s when the new Royal Surrey hospital was opened. The majority of the workhouse site was redeveloped, but due to the efforts of local campaigners, the Casual Ward was saved and remains as a historic building with lots of stories to tell. Individual visitors and groups are welcome to explore this unique building with guides providing the insight about how the poor were treated in a bygone age.
