Title: Volunteer for Active Recovery Project

Employer:  The Southmead Project 

Accountable to: Project Manager   

Place of Work: Various locations across Bristol - Head Office is The Southmead Project, Southmead, Bristol. BS10 6AS

Hours: Fortnightly or Monthly sessions of 4.5 hours per session. 

Salary:   N/A 

The Southmead Project:

The Southmead Project is an equal opportunities employer providing one-to-one counselling and groupwork programmes to survivors of abuse, some of whom may be using drugs and alcohol to help them deal with their trauma symptoms. 

The Active Recovery Project gives survivors of abuse the opportunity to take part in community-based activities. Members of Active Recovery can socialise with others who share or understand their experience in a safe and supportive environment. The activities are based on ideas from our members and include water-based activities (such as rowing, canoeing, sailing and kayaking), surfing, trips to community spaces and creative sessions (such as arts and crafts). Activities take place every week on Thursday afternoons for approximately 4.5 hours of volunteer time (2.5 hours with our members).

We are looking for volunteers to support activities on a fortnightly or monthly basis, alongside our existing volunteers. The new volunteer will have the opportunity to join in with the activities and support our community of Active Recovery members.

We welcome volunteers with lived experience of trauma, although this is not a necessity for someone to apply. 

Role Purpose: To help set-up and support activities taking place in the community for survivors of abuse. 

Principle Tasks:

1. To help set-up community based activities for the Active Recovery project. 

2. To support the delivery of the activity sessions.

3. To help survivors of abuse to improve their self-esteem and self-confidence. 

4. To support the participants to form a peer support network and build friendships so that they feel less lonely and isolated.

5. To attend monthly one-to-one line management meetings with the Project Manager.

6. To work within the framework, spirit and ethos of the Southmead Project’s Equal Opportunities Policy, and actively engage in promoting the policy within the charity and in all dealings with clients and other agencies.

7. To maintain confidentiality at all times

8. To adhere to the charities policies and procedures

9. All members of staff, paid and unpaid, are required to undergo the enhanced level of Disclosure and Barring Service check.

We will provide:

1. A volunteer Induction

2. Training

3. Regular line management 

4. Reimbursement of out of pocket expenses (up to a reasonable amount)

A new volunteer will be warmly welcomed as a member of a small and friendly team, and have the opportunity to make a difference to our members' lives.

Active Recovery Volunteer - Person Specification

ESSENTIAL:

• An understanding of trauma and abuse and how to be sensitive to the effect this could have had on survivors of abuse. 

• The ability to help set-up activities taking place within the community.  

• The ability to work flexibly within a team and support those within it. 

• Experience in supporting people to improve their self-esteem and self-confidence. 

• Experience in supporting people to build friendships and to form a peer support network. 

• To have the capacity to work flexibly.

• Reliability.

• Good communication skills.

• To be able to attend monthly line management.

• To work within the framework, spirit and ethos of the Southmead Project’s Equal Opportunities Policy, and actively engage in promoting the policy within the charity and in all dealings with clients and other agencies.

DESIRABLE:

• Experience in supporting or leading group activities. 

• Experience of volunteering or working in a community based organisation. 

Interviews will be held on 22 March 2023

Deadline for applications: 7 March 2023 09:00

Please note that there must be at least 6 months between receiving support from the Southmead Project as a client/member and applying for this volunteer role.