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Volunteering opportunities during Covid-19

Opportunities for community volunteering

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have come together to support our local communities. As the situation in the UK improves, local organisations and groups still need our help.

It's not always easy to know how to best use your time and skills to help others, so we have brought together a list of some of the organisations and roles in Coventry and Warwickshire that you might be able to support. There are countless other opportunities out there, so do let us know if you come across any that we might be able to share here.

NCVO have put together some helpful guidance on volunteering in the Covid-19 context, which you can read on their website.

“At times such as this, it is more important than ever for us to work together with our regional neighbours and partners as a single community. All of our staff are working differently now and for some of us, this may present the opportunity to volunteer amongst our community.

On this page, you can find links to formal voluntary positions – please take a look through the opportunities available to you and follow the instructions regarding applications. Thank you for supporting our community by considering becoming a volunteer.

We’d love to hear what voluntary activities you’re involved with – find out how you can help us to share good news at this difficult time.”

–Vice-Chancellor Stuart Croft

Available volunteer opportunities

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Lots of different types of support needed

Carriers of Hope is a local charity, supporting refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants in Coventry with short-term and longer-term needs. We do this in lots of different ways and always welcome volunteers to help.

We need people who can offer a weekly or fortnightly commitment of at least an hour a week - on our community allotment, in our warehouse, on our admin team (can be done from home), on our communication team (especially if you speak another language), on our delivery team, or in our ESOL classes.

If you're interested in any of these opportunities and are compassionate and reliable, please get in touch with pip@carriersofhope.org.uk

You can visit our website www.carriersofhope.org.uk or find us on Facebook to see more of what we do.

Mon 24 May 2021, 13:16 | Tags: Warwickshire Kenilworth Coventry At home Leamington Spa

Share your perspectives on vaccinations to inspire artists' work

Warwickshire Public Health has appointed seven artists to produce innovative pieces of work that will encourage the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations, particularly focusing on communities who are engaging less with the vaccination programme.

As part of this some of them wish to chat to people about their experiences of having the vaccine, any hesitancies they had or if they do not want to have the vaccine at all. We are asking for people to be part of these projects and share their experiences/views .

The following areas are being focused on:

  • Dan Simpson is wishing to do an online poetry session for anyone between the age of 16-29. He is going to create two poems based on vaccinations.
  • Antony Barkworth Knight wishes to speak to men who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health. He is going to create a short film around this.
  • Eve Travers wishes to interview a black or black British woman with young children or hoping to have children/ or a black or black British midwife. Eve is going to produce an animation based on this interview.
  • Fred Campbell also wishes to speak to people aged 16-29, his work is going to be involving creating a graphic/comic style book.
  • Trevor Woolery is wishing to speak to black and black British people to gain insight for his work, which will be an animation.

If you can help please contact michellegravatt@warwickshire.gov.uk 01926 742946.

If you're a member of staff and experiencing difficulties with your mental health, the Employee Assistance Programme is available to help. If you're a student, visit the Wellbeing Portal to reach Wellbeing Support Services.

Thu 13 May 2021, 16:18 | Tags: Warwickshire Kenilworth At home Leamington Spa

You could be a Health Champion in your community

WCAVA are looking for volunteers to be positive role models and provide advice and signposting to people living in their own communities. Health Champions will enable people to make positive choices regarding their own health and wellbeing. Volunteers will work as part of a team to support people from a wide range of backgrounds.

To apply, please register your interest by contacting Tina Wragg on 07966 380415 or email tina.wragg@wcava.org.uk.

Tue 23 Mar 2021, 16:54 | Tags: Warwickshire Kenilworth At home Leamington Spa

Donate your old laptop to help school pupils

Do you have an old laptop at home that you no longer use? There are still a lot of children in the local area who are unable to access their online learning due to a shortage of devices. Older laptops can be converted into Chrome Books that will enable pupils to learn from home.

If you would like to help, more information is available on the project webpage; including laptop eligibility, how to donate and what happens next. Read more here.

Fri 19 Mar 2021, 19:45 | Tags: Warwickshire Kenilworth Coventry At home Leamington Spa

Volunteers with various skills sought for Positive Images Festival

Coventry is hosting its very own positive images festival which aims to celebrate the best of Coventry’s heritage. You can help to put on a calendar of events that Coventry can be proud of and to nurture talent within our communities.

Volunteering options include stewarding at the festival to marketing, planning and working behind-the-scenes.

For more information, visit the Positive Images Festival website.

Thu 04 Mar 2021, 13:11 | Tags: Coventry At home

Join Time Union in Coventry

(This opportunity was shared with us by a colleague in Warwick Mathematics Institute. If you know of volunteering opportunities that address local needs, please email us some details on community@warwick.ac.uk.)

Time Union is a time bank which aims to help people use their time to build their sense of self through relating to others, connect to Coventry as a community, and enable socially positive changes to come from individual acts of sharing.

A time bank is a system of mutual exchange. Members share their time, assets, and skills on an hour to hour basis – share an hour with one member, and get an hour back from another. Current members exchange language lessons, fitness, DIY, career and life coaching, filmmaking lessons, crafts, Reiki, cinema trips, and more.

Visit the Time Union website to sign up.

Thu 25 Feb 2021, 15:40 | Tags: Coventry At home

Help combat loneliness and isolation

Chat Central is a project that aims to help people to find others with similar interests, to have fun, to join in with a hobby, to get involved with their community and to find new friends, tackling loneliness and isolation in all its forms in Coventry. The project is open to anyone aged 18+ experiencing loneliness, social withdrawal, low self-esteem and low self-confidence for any reason and from all across the city.

They are currently running events to try and get people socialising and engaging with the community. They have weekly art and craft sessions, chair yoga, dance, a drop in where people can find out about what is happening in Coventry and a culture club (like a book club but on wider topics).

They also run a telephone befriending service, for which they are looking for volunteers. There are some one-off events that would benefit from some volunteers too. Another important role available is volunteering at events to help keep the conversation flowing.

If you would like to get involved, visit the Chat Central webpage and email chatcentral@vacoventry.org.uk

Thu 25 Feb 2021, 11:27 | Tags: Coventry At home

Help share up to date public health messages in your community

The Community Resilience Team are currently working closely with members of the local community who may be a ‘Community Leader’ or well networked within Coventry to be part of the Community Messengers Network, helping to spread Public Health COVID19 messages. The role of Community Messengers is to work closely with the team to help spread the most up to date Covid-19 health protection messages, updates within the city on testing, cases and vaccinations and highlight to us incorrect advice. Community Messengers act as a support to their communities by giving up to date guidance and reassurance as and when needed.

If you are someone that lives, works or volunteers in Coventry and well networked within your community and feel that you can help get these messages out to a wider audience they would be pleased for your support. People can commit as little or as much time as they are able to and full support is given.

If you are interested in becoming a Community Messenger or would like to find out more about what’s involved, please get in touch with Ben Hayday on community@warwick.ac.uk and ask for some more information. He can then put you in touch with the team at Coventry City Council.

Thu 04 Feb 2021, 17:06 | Tags: Coventry At home

Become a Covid-19 Community Champion

Warwickshire County Council are offering free training to gain valuable skills in active citizenship to help you support individuals in your community to be safe and well. Places are limited.

There are three sessions, which will help you to:

  • understand how to be more active and involved in helping communities and how to contribute effectively to the democratic processes
  • learn about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and what people can do to stay safe and protect others
  • ensure vulnerable people have access to information and support and help extend services to groups who may be hard to reach

Find out more or register your interest by calling Mike Slemensek at Warwickshire County Council on 07557 814937.

If you do complete the training, it would be great if you could let Ben and Jo in the University's community engagement team know via community@warwick.ac.uk. We'd love to help you put your training into practice.

Wed 03 Feb 2021, 20:38 | Tags: Warwickshire Kenilworth At home Leamington Spa

Volunteer via the Warwickshire Timebank

Time4Warwickshire timebanking project is open to anyone aged 14 and over who lives or works in Warwickshire. Timebanking is a simple, social way to connect with others, swap and share skills and services as well as strengthening the communities we live in.

Each timebank enables its members to exchange time by helping one another out as well as by being able to request help for themselves. Everyone's hour is worth an hour whatever you do in the hour so everyone has something to offer and much to gain by getting involved.

More information on the Time 4 Warwickshire webpage.

Thu 28 Jan 2021, 10:59 | Tags: Warwickshire Kenilworth At home Leamington Spa

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Contact us

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Community Engagement team on community@warwick.ac.uk 

Please note

We are providing this information to you in good faith and make every effort to keep it accurate and up to date but we cannot guarantee this.

Some of the information provided is by third parties and may contain links to external sites. We are not responsible for this content.

It is your responsibility to check the accuracy of the information before use and to satisfy yourself that the information is correct.

The University of Warwick will not be responsible for any volunteering opportunity or role you choose to undertake and it is your responsibility to ensure it is appropriate and safe.