Volunteer with City Hearts
Volunteering at City Hearts is both rewarding and inspiring as you help in a practical way to change young women's lives. Why not give some of your time each week or each month to make City Hearts an even better place to be.
A huge thank you to all of you who are already volunteering in City Hearts. Each week we have around 30 women of all ages, backgrounds and cultures that give their time and energy to making a difference in other women's lives. THANK YOU!!
Actually we shouldn't forget the men as there are some who cut grass, paint walls, fix leaks and other practical 'man' jobs to make City Hearts a fantastic place for every young woman. You are all amazing too!
Getting Involved...
Office Time
Believe it or not there is a lot of administration work involved in running a project like City Hearts, so if your talents include organisation, administration, computer/internet knowledge and other various office skills then this could be a great option for you. Available times are Mondays to Fridays between 9am and 5pm.
Weekdays
City Hearts runs a full weekly schedule for the women in the project and week days are pretty hectic! Volunteering some time Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm may involve: taking girls to appointments/clinics; taking girls shopping or for coffee; welcoming new girls; sitting in sessions; preparing lunch; helping with work experience.
Evenings & Weekends
A lot of this time involves social time for those in City Hearts. For those further on in the programme they have more free time and simply require on call support. Volunteering out of office hours is so helpful to us as we like to provide a variety of activities requiring more 'man' power! Evenings and weekends may involve: preparing dinner; TV time; trips out; practical help at home; cleaning.
Sessions / Training
If you have specialist knowledge in an area that may be of interest to the women in City Hearts then we would love to hear from you. Currently we have volunteers that do sessions weekly or monthly or as a one-of when needed. At the moment these include: life coaching; massage therapy; Equine Assisted Psychotherapy; Finance & Accounting; Cooking; Creative Arts.
Family Support
City Hearts works with families/couples living in the community to offer additional support to the women as they progress through the project. For many women support from their own families is minimal or non existent and for them to be able to spend time with a family that is encouraging and kind offers a great deal of confidence and security for their future. Giving Family Support with a City Hearts woman can be anything from an evening meal, to a day trip out, to living with a family for a couple of months. For more information about giving Family Support please email CITY HEARTS or call Emma on 0114 213 2063.
Work Placements
City Hearts does take students who are on work placements as part of their college or degree course. For further information about this please contact Emma by email or call Emma on 0114 213 2063.
TO GET INVOLVED in any of these opportunities simply download the Volunteer Application Form and email it to Emma Solanki or post it to Emma Solanki, City Hearts, PO Box 4285, Sheffield, S2 9BE.
What our volunteers say...
"I have had the privilege of being a volunteer at City Hearts since it was established. During that time numerous girls have entered the programme and many of their lives have been changed for the better. As a volunteer I am a small part of the great work being done, but am sure that however small my contribution seems, it has great significance in helping the girls back to recovery. The joy of sharing the journey with someone from desperation onto freedom is extremely rewarding, not only for the girls, but also for the volunteer." Jayne Richmond, Nurse - 5 yrs volunteering.
"It's amazing to see the transfromation in the girls from when they come in to when they graduate." Jo Maltby, Leadership Academy 2nd Year Student - 2 yrs volunteering.
Things to Note....
1. All City Hearts staff and volunteers are CRB checked.
2. All City Hearts staff and volunteers complete the full application process - including application, references, interview, trial period.
3. All City Hearts staff and volunteers who work 4 hours or more are given training in Health and Safety, First Aid, Medication and training on City Hearts Policies and Procedures. These are updated on a regular basis.
4. Additional training is provided for all staff and volunteers in the areas that they choose to specialise in.
5. Volunteers are never left unsupervised with women in the project without a fully trained staff member before they have completed the necessary training.
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