Spotlight on Josh

Whilst only a recent guardian with Dot Dot Dot, Josh has already launched himself into his volunteering. This is what he has to say about his time with us so far: 

‘Living in London is insanely difficult; I’ve had to move out of the city once already because my shoebox flat-share was far too expensive. I was sleeping on my sister’s couch in Essex for a month while I furiously tried and tried to get back into the city. I hated it. No job was able to give me the hours or pay to afford a flat-share in London, I wanted to work, but nobody would give me the time. Thankfully during my time living the city, I was recommended to Dot Dot Dot by the Artistic Director of the Nursery Theatre.

I’d been volunteering for The Nursery since September of last year after seeing some of their shows at Edinburgh, and as an experiment I started doing admin for them. As we worked together they began to see the benefits of having volunteers and, I’m glad to say, now have more members of their creative team, allowing the theatre to grow dramatically.

I’ve also taken up the role of Assistant Producer for Word On Health, a weekly health report broadcast on 83 community radio stations across the country. It’s a pretty demanding role, but honestly it doesn’t feel like a drain in any way.  I think that’s the thing about volunteering, if you love the project and the people, you can spend all day with them and not call it work.

My days usually start around 4 am and all together it can seem like a bit much; I’m working for at least 14 hours with maybe one day off a week, if it’s a show night then I’m working 20. In March alone I’ve volunteered somewhere between 80 and 100 hours and I’m thinking more and more that it’s because I love the work I’ve been given the opportunity to do. I thought when I moved to London I’d have to get a 9-5 terrible job that pays the bills and suffer through it, but thanks to Dot Dot Dot, I can make a real difference with my time.”

We are really impressed with the dedication Josh has shown to his volunteering and to having a positive social impact. Thanks for all your hard work!

Get involved

• If you’re interested in volunteering and becoming a guardian with dot dot dot, apply here today
• Keep up to date with our news and our guardians’ volunteering experiences on Facebook and Twitter

This week’s top 5 volunteer opportunities

1. Centrepoint need a Gardener, Admin person and IT Tutor
When: Ongoing
Where: Central House, 25 Camperdown Street, E1 8DZ

​80,000 young people experience homelessness every year. Centrepoint gives homeless young people a future, supporting them through housing, education and training. Visit centrepoint.co.uk for more information on their volunteering opportunities.

2. Kith and Kids volunteering opportunities
When: Training starts on 29th Jan 2015
Where: The Irish Centre, Pretoria Road, London. N17 8DX

​Kith and Kids need volunteers to support young adults with autism and/or mild learning disabilities to develop employment and life skills on fun daytime sessions in North London.

No experience needed, just enthusiasm and energy! Training, support & travel expenses are offered.  Call Rich on 0208 801 7432, email rich@kithandkids.org.uk or visit their website for further information.

3. Volunteer with The Remakery
When: Apply by 31st January 2015
Where: Lambeth

​Interested in writing newsletters, designing flyers, social media, organising and advertising events? Be part of launching an incredible space for their community.

The Remakery is a cooperative run fully by volunteers. They are working towards launching a hub for enterprise, training and community projects centred on the re-use of waste materials.

They want to create accessible opportunities for disadvantaged, low-income residents and ultimately contribute to Lambeth Council’s aim of reducing waste destined for landfill. They’re looking for a volunteer who can support on communication, events and/or marketing.

Interested? Contact Angela Rouse on angela@remakery.org. To apply, simply email Angela a letter outlining your interest and skills by 31 January 2015. Check out their website for more information.

4. Volunteer for Relate
When: Ongoing
Where: Across London

Relate offer counselling and support for all relationships.  Relate Centres are looking for people with time to spare to help with:

• working in a Relate charity shop
• volunteering as a receptionist or administrator
• offering expert support to a Relate Centre e.g. IT support.

Interested?  Contact your nearest Relate Centre at relate.org.uk to find opportunities.

5. S.P.I.D. Theatre Company needs volunteers
When: Tuesdays
Where: Ladbroke Grove

S.P.I.D is an award winning professional theatre using site specific theatre to engage people within neglected environments. They are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to support:

• workshop facilitators when leading sessions at
• backstage on performances
• office administration and marketing.

Develop your communication and facilitation skills, work alongside professional theatre makers and learn how to deliver theatre games and exercises.

No previous experience is necessary, but an interest in theatre and a motivation to empower and inspire young people is a must. Apply at voluntarywork.org.uk today.

Get involved:

• Stay up to date with our news and subscribe to the Dot Dot Dot newsletter for updates from the team
• Fancy doing more volunteering in 2015? Get inspiration from our Guardians.

The Big House Theatre Company

Skills-based volunteering makes sense. Not-for-profits gain from the access to a professional skillset they don’t have in-house and volunteers often get to use their skills in new environments, take on greater responsibility and gain valuable experience. Several of our guardians sidestep traditional volunteering opportunities and use their professional skills to add long term value and impact to charities. Guardian Josh, a Lighting Designer, volunteers his talents and massive chunks of his time to The Big House Theatre Company in east London.

Led by Artistic Director Maggie Norris (who won a place on the The Independent’s 2014 Happy List for her tireless work), The Big House was founded in January 2013 to work with care leavers to provide them with a safe and creative place wherein they can develop their skills and confidence. A therapeutic tool, live performance builds trust and provides a voice and a platform to young people who may be struggling with the stressful complexities of beginning a new life outside of care.

Their powerful and energetic performances are constantly praised by critics and their work with young people is exciting and innovative, something communities across the country need. They’re always on the lookout for brilliant volunteers who have time and skills to share. They’re also looking for a volunteer to join their Front of House team from 13^th November to 20^th December 2014. Get in touch for details via info@thebighouse.uk.com.