This week’s top five volunteering opportunities

1. Create your own mural in a hospital ward (CNWL NHS Trust)
When: Ongoing    
Where: Canalside House, 323 Ladbroke Grove, London W10 5AA
The CNWL NHS Trust are looking for someone to create a mural on the wall of a balcony in a psychiatric ward at St. Charles hospital. The balcony was previously used as a smoking area and needs come revitalizing. The volunteer will be working with and encouraging the service users, incorporating their ideas into their overall design. If you have some experience of designing a mural or other group artwork, and general artistic skills and enthusiasm, then please have a look here to apply. They envisage that the role will involve one afternoon or morning a week (2 – 3 hours) for approximately 8 – 10 weeks. The Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest non-acute trusts in the UK, caring for people with a wide range of physical and mental health needs. Take a look at their website here.

2. Volunteer visitor hosts: ‘Out of Chaos; Ben Uri:100 Years in London’
When: 2nd July – 18th December    
Where: Ben Uri Gallery, 108a Boundary Road, London, NW8 0RH
The Ben Uri Gallery and Museum will celebrate its centenary year with the exhibition ‘Out of Chaos; Ben Uri: 100 Years in London’. A registered charity and museum, Ben Uri began as a London-based art society founded in Whitechapel’s ghetto in 1915 and is the oldest Jewish cultural organisation in the UK. This exhibition will use its celebrated collection to tell the stories of the universal social and political upheavals faced by an émigré community, in this case Jewish, whilst reflecting on the wider émigré experiences of London. Addressing key issues of ‘identity’ and ‘belonging’, the exhibition will harness the invaluable history of Ben Uri’s collection and artists to expand conversations about immigration, creativity and citizenship, constant features of today’s political debate. Volunteers will be needed to support the duty manager in the daily running of the exhibition space. Volunteers will play a key role in ensuring the key messages of the exhibition are understood by the visitors by providing a knowledgeable and enthusiastic welcome. Please email lauraj@benuri.org.uk to apply.

3. Festival Helpers
When: June 13th 2015    
Where: Hoxton Square, London, N1 6NU
Grandfest is an exciting new festival that celebrates older people and the skills that they have to offer. Run by the Royal Voluntary Service, it will be taking place in and around Hoxton Square. GrandFest will hold a series of masterclasses with a range of skills where members of the public can attend and learn how to crochet, make wooden toys or flower- arrange (to name a few). These masterclasses are taking place in a range of locations a short walk from Hoxton Square which will be the main hub of activity with food, drink and craft stalls as well as live entertainment throughout the day. Volunteers are needed to help with a range of activities on Hoxton Square to help the festival run smoothly. The Royal Voluntary Service are looking for keen and friendly volunteers who love spending time with people and older people and who are interested in helping make the event the success that it deserves to be. Take a look here for more information, and details of how to apply.

4. Volunteer bookworm/ storyteller
When: Ongoing on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Where: 45 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7JB    
Peabody in partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will be running a literacy project called Reading From the Start. The projects aims to encourage parents with children under 5 years old to make reading with their children part of their everyday lives by improving literacy skills, fostering a love of reading and positively impacting long term educational outcomes. Volunteers are needed to become bookworm/storytellers, a role which requires meeting with families and assisting at sessions through arts and crafts, storytelling, nursery rhymes, games and other fun activities. Volunteers will also assist the Project Coordinator with recording the families progress. Please take a look here if you are interested in story telling.

5. Move – on workshop co- ordinator
When: Ongoing    
Where: South London YMCA, 6 Sylvan Hill, Upper Norwood, London SE19 2QF
The Fitze Millennium Centre is an 80 bed hostel for homeless young people aged 16 upwards with various support needs. The South London YMCA are currently seeking a volunteer to work with customers to help them move on to independent living . The role will involve helping people to understand how and where to look for somewhere to live and how to prepare for moving on to independence. Volunteers will also be needed to give advice on budgeting and how to sustain a successful tenancy. The volunteers will need to be friendly, non- judgemental and practical, with an interest in empowering others. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, then please take a look here.