For information on how to undertake voluntary work in Lancaster, Morecambe
and district.
WANT TO VOLUNTEER? GETTING STARTED
This section lists organisations that offer information on current volunteering opportunities, help match you up to the opportunity that suits your interests and availability, and offer ongoing support.
See also: http://www.do-it.org.uk/ for more local volunteering opportunities.
Help Direct Volunteer Bureau
For local volunteering opportunities please contact Michelle Collingwood, Volunteering Development Officer, at the Help Direct Volunteer Bureau, 7-11 Chapel Street, Lancaster LA1 1NZ.
Email: michellec@loc.helpdirectlancs.org.uk
Telephone: 01524 387856
Mobile: 07807 306716
Lancashire
County Council Volunteer Service Lancashire County Council Volunteer Service
Lancashire County Council has a diverse range of volunteer opportunities to offer across the authority supporting a variety of services. Volunteer opportunities include supporting adult social care, care services, children's centres, countryside service, youth offending team, trading standards, mystery shopping and many more.
For a full list of volunteer opportunities visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/volunteer or contact us at lccvolunteering@lancashire.gov.uk or www.facebook.com/ilovevolunteering.
Lancaster
University Volunteering Unit
Alexandra Square, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4XX
Ben Matthews Co-ordinator
Tel: 01525 592828 Fax: 01524 846732 Internal Phone: 92828
E-mail: luvu[at]lancaster.ac.uk
Lancaster District CVS
Lancaster District CVS supports volunteering in the district in the following ways:
• Hosting an annual Volunteer Achievement Award
• Advice and information with policies around volunteering
• Training for volunteers
If you need advice in any of these areas, please contact the Voluntary Sector Development Team on 01524 555900. For specific volunteering opportunities, please contact the organisations listed on this page.
LOCAL VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
Animal
Care
Blea Tarn Kennels, Blea Tarn Road, Scotforth, Lancaster
LA2 0RD
Animal Care Charity Shop. 40 Claremont Road, Morecambe,
LA4 4HL. Tel:01524 65495. Open Tue - Sat 9am - 3.30pm.
If you'd like to volunteer to help in the sanctuary or the Morecambe
charity shop, tel: 01524 65495 (11am-3pm) or email: vanessa@animalcare-lancaster.co.uk.
Citizens' Advice Bureau Your Opportunity to make a real difference..
..and provide a service informing people of their legal rights and responsibilities and to influence the development of social policies and services both locally and nationally.
Volunteers at Lancaster Citizens' Advice Bureau receive excellent training to help achieve these aims. We wish to increase the number of advisers at the Bureau. In return for your time we offer nationally recognised training, the opportunity for personal development and invaluable experience.
We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are keen to diversify our volunteer staff.
Contact us today.
Email: enquiries@lancastercab.org
Furniture Matters Thornton Rd, Morecambe. Tel; 01524 427300
Recycles furniture, electrical appliances + bicycles for people on a
low income.
Need volunteers for driving, deliveries, admin + cleaning.
Lancaster & District Conservation Volunteers
Set up in 1984 as an autonomous local group within the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, we are now members of BTCV's Community Network. We work to improve the quality of the local environment for community benefit. Some of our projects include tree planting and maintenance, fencing, drystone walling, hedge laying and footpath management.
Benefits of becoming a member include skills training, minibus pick-ups to and from work sites and working with a friendly group of volunteers of all ages.
Workdays are Sundays (usually fortnightly).
For further information telephone David & Liz Alexander (Project Organisers) 01524 412938 (evenings 7-9 pm).
See Virtual Lancaster's What's On This Month page to keep up to date with our next work days' activities or or search our website www.ldcv.org.uk for our current programme
Leonard Cheshire is looking for volunteers to link up with individuals with disabilities and to spend time with them on a regular basis either in their own home or out in the community.
Leonard Cheshire’s North West Care at Home Services.
Natalie Searle, Volunteer Co-ordinator,
(natalie.searle@lc-uk.org) or
Joe Cobb, Sociability Co-ordinator
(joe.cobb@lc-uk.org),
Leonard Cheshire,
North West Community Services (North),
Derby House,
Lytham Road,
Fulwood,
Preston PR2 8JE.
Tel: 01772 772 207
Your local Direct Payments Support Group needs You! Helping people who need support at home to get Direct Payments and employ their own carers. People who need
social care can
receive Direct
Payments to
employ their own staff. This allows more control and flexibility and can be life changing to many people.
However, some struggle to access DP and poor
management can lead to their scheme
breaking down.
It can be confusing and very
overwhelming but...
You can volunteer your time to
support new DP users to access the scheme.
Lancashire
Support Services are
setting up a Peer
Support Group in your area. This is your chance to assist
disabled people and their families with admin work, giving
advice or just moral
support.
You will be given training around Direct Payments and out of pocket expenses will be paid. Other volunteers will support you and you only have to give up a few hours each week at a local office.
Gain experience and
develop skills in
Direct Payments;
Admin work; communication and negotiation skills;
Supporting People and much more, which will help if you’re going into a people based
career or you just want a rewarding
experience!
If you think you would enjoy making a real difference in your local community and enjoying yourself with new people, then contact us today using the details below.:
Lancashire Support Services,
Preston Technology Management Centre
Cooper Road, off Marsh Lane,
Preston, Lancashire, PR1 8UQ
Tel: 01772 250 300
Fax: 01772 250 288
E: frances@lancashiresupportservices.info www.peersupport.info
virtual-lancaster (this website) Email
We have jobs for the sociable - and for the more reclusive too. We need
people who can work independently with technical skills to improve the site facilities and we need
people who like going out to review entertainments for us. We need news
stories and written opinions on local issues and we need pictures too.
And if you can't think what you'd like to do, email
us with your phone number and we'll have a chat anyway.
WRVS The WRVS Hospital Library Service needs volunteers (men
& women) to help out with the cafe and shop at the Royal Lancaster
Infirmary. This is a service that makes a huge difference to thousands
of people - if you've ever spent hours hanging around the Intensive
Care Unit waiting to find out if a loved one is going to come out in
one piece, then you'll know those WRVS cafes are a lifeline of sanity and sustainance.
And if you've ever drunk hospital machine tea, you'll know just how
grim life can be when the cafe is closed. So if you've a morning or
afternoon to spare, please help keep it open. The WRVS have a number of other local projects too.
First responders First responders are people who live in rural areas trained
to give provide immediate and possibly life saving help in a medical
emergency until paramedics can get there and take over. Their work is
known to reduce the deaths and damage caused by heart attacks. However
more are always needed. If are interested
in finding out more about their work and if it might be the thing for
you, call 07843585102