This week’s Wimbledon themed top 5 volunteering opportunities

Today marks the 1st of July, and what better way to serve up summer than our Wimbledon themed Volunteering Opportunities…

1.Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Where: E20 3AD
When: Last Saturday of each month
Category: Sports, Tennis, Disabilities
Commitment Level: Ongoing Commitment

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority are looking for sighted guides for Visually Impaired Tennis Players. The purpose of this role is to support their monthly visually impaired camps. This includes providing a sighted guide service to and from Leytonstone Tube Station. At the centre volunteers have the opportunity to support the lead coach on court by assisting with the games/drills that are being organised. For more information and to register your interest, click here.

2.Bikeworks
Where: Tower Hamlets, Newham, Kensington and Chelsea
When: Various (1x 4 hour session a month)
Category: Sports, Cycling, Disabilities
Commitment Level: Weekly Commitment

Bikeworks are looking for an inclusive cycling club and admin volunteer. Duties will include welcoming participants, checking that they are registered and assisting new participants with their initial assessment. Full training will be provided. For more information, see here.

3.Mencap Haringey
Where: Tottenham
When: Wednesday Afternoons
Category: Sports, Boxing, Disabilities
Commitment Level: Weekly Commitment

As part of the Group Initiatives Volunteering Experiences project, Mencap Haringey are looking for gym and boxing buddies. The role involves assisting local adults with learning disabilities/difficulties. Volunteers will receive disability awareness training and will learn how to plan activities and risk assess. Click here for more information.

4. Deen City Farm
Where: Merton
When: Tuesday 5th July 10am-1pm
Category: Farm, Gardening, Sustainability
Commitment Level: Ad hoc 

Deen City Farm are holding an outdoor gardening session and are looking for people to help them dig and prune. There will be a whole host of jobs for people of all ages and abilities. If you are interested in this opportunity, see here for more details.

5. London Youth Rowing
Where: London Regatta Centre, E16 2QT
When: Various
Category: Sports, Youth, Rowing, Coaching
Commitment Level: Ongoing Commitment

The London Regatta Centre is looking for enthusiastic rowing coaches who will be able to help young people access a new sport. As a charity, they work with young people who may not necessarily have been able to access the sport without their help. Most of the sessions run within school time, and they also run after-school sessions on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Volunteers will be asked to help regularly with the same group. Click here to apply.

This week’s top five volunteering opportunities

1.Sense Summer Holiday Club
Where: Island Gardens
When: 1st – 19th August
Category: Disabilities, Young People, Camp
Commitment Level: High level of commitment

This August, Sense will be providing School holiday clubs for children and young people with disabilities and complex medical needs in Tower Hamlets. They are looking for keen and enthusiastic volunteers to help young people with disabilities and complex needs to take part in and access a variety of activities in the Summer Holidays Club. They are looking for volunteers who are able to offer from 1 to 3 weeks during the scheme period, plus 2 days of their time for induction training in July. To get involved or find out more contact Nicola Venus-Balgobin – nicola.venus-balgobin@sense.org.uk

2.Obstacle Marshal
Where: Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ
When: 7^th August
Category: Marshal, Race, Lifeboats
Commitment Level: Ad Hoc

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution are looking for obstacle Marshals to help at their Splash Fest fundraising event. You will be based at one of the 5 obstacles and will be a friendly face to point them in the direction of their next activity and provide advice to help them along the way. To register your interest and find out more, click here.

3.Greenwich Inclusion Project
Where: Thamesmead
When: Various
Category:
Commitment Level: High level of commitment

Greenwich Inclusion Project recognises that hostility is linked to wider structural and societal issues. This project will focus on tackling this, as well as providing a safe and understanding place for people to gain support. They are looking for Peace Champion volunteers to assist them in forming a support network in Thamesmead, challenging hate incidents and hate crime. You will have the chance to learn and develop experience on supporting clients, policy development, action research, community engagement and project management. For more information and to register your interest, contact Sarah Fellepa on sarah.fellepa@peabody.org.uk

4.Swing East Volunteers
Where: Chrisp Street
When:  Sunday 10^th July
Category: Community, Market, Activities
Commitment Level: Ad Hoc

On Sunday 10^th July, Chrisp Street Market are holding a Swing East Festival which will involve market stalls, food and dancing. They are looking for friendly and energetic volunteers to support in a wide variety of activities throughout the day. For more information, and to register click here.

5.Bee Collective
Where: 25 Eccleston Place
When:  Every Tuesday from 18.30-20.00
Category: Honey, Education, Conservation
Commitment Level: Ad Hoc

Learn how to extract raw honey every Tuesday evening throughout the summer. Bee Collective provides a honey extraction service to London’s beekeepers. Bee Collective are an interesting social enterprise and they are looking for anyone with an interest in bees, beekeeping, nature, gardening, conservation or honey. For more information and to sign up, click here.

This week’s top 5 volunteering opportunities

The 1st-10th June is National Volunteers’ Week. Here are some opportunities to get you started: 

1.Trust Thamesmead 

Where: Various
When: Friday 3^rd June
Category: Gardening, Arts, Befriending, Sports
Commitment Level: Ad Hoc

Volunteer at one of four local Thamesmead opportunities in gardening, arts and crafts, befriending and sports. Contact Sarah Feleppa for more information and to pick up a volunteer pass. Email: Sarah.feleppa@peabody.org.uk or call 020 3828 4936.

2. The Wildlife Trusts

Where: Various
When: Various
Category: Conservation, Protection, Wildlife
Commitment Level: Ad Hoc

The Wildlife Trust are looking for people to help them to protect local wildlife. They have a variety of volunteering options around the UK which range from community gardening to species surveying. To find out more and to register your interest, click here.

3. Kith and Kids

Where: Tottenham (then Camp is residential) 
When: Camp is 21st to 28th August
Category: Disabilities, Learning Difficulties, Camp
Commitment Level: High

Kith and Kids are looking for volunteers to support their members who have learning disabilities to take part in fun activities on their residential camp. To find out more about this opportunity, see here.

4.Heather Lodge

Where: Tower Hamlets
When: Various
Category: Befriending, Mental Health
Commitment Level: Ongoing

Heather Lodge is a supported accommodation service for adults with Mental Health problems. They are looking for a volunteer befriender to offer emotional support to a service user through weekly visits. If this is something that appeals to you, find out more here.

5. The Streets

Where: Various
When: Various
Category: Music, Community, Events 
Commitment Level: Ad Hoc

The Streets is a dynamic programme aimed at bringing high quality music and performance to the boroughs of London. They are looking for a team of volunteers to engage in the local community through working in the boroughs involved in the activity. For more information and to register your interest, see here.

This week’s top five volunteering opportunities

1.Listening Ears

Where: Abbey Wood Community Centre
When: Various
Category: Listening, Mental Health, Support Services
Commitment Level: Ongoing

Listening Ears is a Charitable organisation established to address the increasing rate of depression arising from issues surrounding pain, grief, distress and isolation. They run a variety of projects with a range of clients. To find out more and to apply, click here.

2.Action on Hearing Loss – Fundraisers

Where: Kings Cross Underground Station
When: 13th May
Category: Fundraising, Disabilities
Commitment Level: One Off

Action on Hearing Loss are looking for people to fundraise in Kings Cross Underground Station on the 13th May. To register your interest, click here.

3.Crossness Victorian Pumping Station

Where: Crossness, SE2 9AQ
When: Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays – 9am-4pm.
Category: Gardening, Maintenance, Education, Administration
Commitment Level: Regular Commitment

There are many opportunities for volunteers to assist in the restoration, maintenance and administration of the Victorian pumping station at Crossness and to create an exhibition of sanitary history. They currently have a large range of unfilled vacancies. To find out more about the roles and to apply, click here.

4.Volunteer Teaching Assistant for Refugees

Where: Lewisham
When: Saturdays
Category: Teaching, Young People, SEN
Commitment Level: Regular Commitment

This organisation works to relieve poverty and isolation among refugees, asylum seekers and other ethnic minorities in Lewisham. They are looking for volunteers to support the teachers in delivering literacy and numeracy lessons to children with SEN across all classes. For more information and to register your interest, click here.

5.Cross Roads Care

Where: Eltham, SE9
When: Tuesdays and Wednesdays – 10am-2.30pm
Category: Dementia, Support, Elderly
Commitment Level: Regular Commitment

Crossroads Care South East London run two memory cafes in Greenwich. The cafes are a friendly and informal meeting place and offer support to people with dementia and their carers. They are looking for people who are willing to be trained and supported to become Café Volunteers to support staff. If you are interested in this opportunity email: l.munns@ccsel.org or call: 01322 336086.