Volunteering
Volunteering with us is a brilliant way to share your talents and spend your time...
200+
Active Volunteers in February 2021
Why volunteer?
At The Parish Trust, we believe that volunteering should enrich the lives of our volunteers. We like to make volunteering as beneficial as possible, so here is a list of some of the benefits you can expect from volunteering with us:
Tempo Time Credits
If you are eligible through the amount of volunteer hours you commit to the charity, we can give you “Time Credits.” These credits can add up to get you a selection of different benefits, like Netflix and Disney+ subscriptions, days out, meals out and even money on a PAYG phone!
Boost your CV
Volunteering really stands out on a CV, and employers are likely to favour someone who has volunteering experience as it shows a variety of desirable qualities in a potential employee.
A Reference
If you’ve been volunteering with us for a while, we will be more than happy to provide a reference for you in whatever you look to doing in the future.
A Volunteer Family
Our volunteers are very friendly and we like to see them as a family of volunteers. We realise that communication and friendship with others is very important - and you get to make a direct and positive impact to your community while you do it!
Seeing the Effect
We often get our service users thanking us for all we do for them. Our delivery drivers and assistants especially know the impact our services have on the lives of those that we help. It’s wonderful to know that the work you do is helping those in need locally.
What volunteer opportunities are available?
Call Handler
Brief Description: The call handler volunteer’s role is to assist our service users by filling in online forms requesting food parcels and to liaise with our Food Hub Administrators and the service users to arrange delivery of food parcels.
Essential Equipment: The volunteer will be willing to work from home and to use their own smartphone and computer/laptop to assist service users in completing their food parcel request forms.
Volunteer Profile: The volunteer will be able to chat and put anxious service users at ease as they complete an online request form. The role requires confidentiality, a calm, reassuring manner and compassion. The volunteer will be aware that all telephone calls are recorded in order to safeguard the volunteers and the service user. Any safeguarding concerns that the volunteer has at any time during their volunteering must be reported to the Safeguarding Officer.
Tasks:
- To take incoming calls from service users and complete food request forms.
- To transfer calls from Food Hub Administrators to service users.
- To explain how the service works to the service user if they are requesting for the first time.
Training: The volunteer will be given training on the CARE Project’s telephone system so that they can manage calls. There will be training on the use of the online request form and guidance on the information to be given to the service user.
Ticket Administrator
Brief Description: The Food Hub Administrator works from home and works with our online system to process and confirm requests for food parcels for service users.
Essential Equipment: The volunteer will be working from home and so will need a phone to make calls from, and a computer/laptop with internet access to operate the osTicket system.
Volunteer Profile: The volunteer will be aware of the need for confidentiality in the charity and will be able to put distressed services user’s at ease. They are confident with using technology and confident to speak over the phone.
Tasks:
- To check a ticket is eligible for a parcel by performing certain checks to ensure this.
- To call the volunteer up through to Call Handler volunteer and confirming with them, over the phone, the details of their food parcel delivery.
- To deal with the ticket appropriately on the system.
- To report any issues or other concerns to the relevant staff.
Training: The volunteer will be fully trained on how to use the osTicket system and there are fully comprehensive help sheets that detail all this that are constantly accessible to the volunteer.
Food Parcel Packer
Brief Description: The Food Hub Packer Volunteer’s role is to adhere to all the guidance given to them in regards to food hygiene and health and safety. The volunteer will be involved in the packing of essential food parcels and restocking the food shelves in order to maintain an efficient supply of food parcels. The volunteer will be involved in the cleaning and tidying of the Food Hub.
Essential Equipment: The volunteer will be working in the Food Hub and will be trained in the safe monitoring of refrigerated and frozen food and the auditing of food coming in to the Food Hub and being packed for the service user.
Volunteer Profile: The volunteer will be happy to work as part of a small team and able to liaise with the Food Hub Delivery Drivers to enable the smooth running of a food distribution system. The role requires a moderate level of physical strength and mobility, confidentiality and a high level of food hygiene and food allergen awareness when packing food for service users who have allergies or sensitivities to certain foods.
Tasks:
- To undertake regular cleaning of equipment and food preparation areas.
- To monitor and record temperatures of refrigerators and freezers at prescribed intervals of the day.
- To pack bags and cool boxes with food and non-food items according to the service user’s request form.
- To record deliveries of incoming food supplies and to stores appropriately with food labels detailing date and means of storage with allergens highlighted.
- To ensure a tidy and clean environment the volunteer will dispose of food waste, recyclable waste and general waste in the appropriate waste bins for weekly collection by the council.
Training: The volunteer will be given training on the monitoring and safe hygiene practice for the storage and supply of food. There will be training on the cleaning of the equipment and Food Hub facilities in order to maintain a safe and hygienic environment.
Delivery Assistant
Brief Description: The Delivery Assistant Volunteers will assist the Volunteer Delivery Drivers in completing their deliveries of food parcels from the Food Hub to the service user’s doorstep.
Essential Equipment: No equipment is required for this role. Everything that is needed – like high-vis jackets – is provided by The Parish Trust.
Volunteer Profile: Delivery assistants have to be over 18, or under 18 with parental permission. They need to have moderate strength in order to be able to carry parcels from the vehicle to the doorstep.
Tasks:
- To help the Delivery Driver in placing the food parcels in the vehicle.
- Where possible, to help the Delivery Driver to navigate.
- To help the Delivery Driver to take the parcels out of the vehicle and place them safely on the doorstep of the service user.
Training: All training and details will be provided at the Food Hub. No particular training is required.
Replenishment Worker
Brief Description: The Replenishment Worker Volunteer works at the Food Hub and puts away all ambient food safely, and also puts away any fresh or frozen food and labels it according to our Food Hub Policy.
Essential Equipment: No equipment is needed for this role.
Volunteer Profile: The volunteer must have moderate strength to be able to pick up bags of food. They must be organised to be able to put the food away properly.
Tasks:
- To put all ambient food away safely on the shelves, and if shelves are full to put the food into crates that are off the ground.
- To clock in all frozen and fresh food and label them accordingly and adhering to the Food Hub Policy.
Training: All training relating to the Food Policy will be provided.
Delivery Driver (own vehicle)
Brief Description: The Delivery Driver Volunteer’s role is to assist our service users by collecting prepared food parcels from the Food Hub and delivering to the doorstep of the service user.
Essential Equipment: The volunteer will be willing to drive their own vehicle to transport food parcels from the Food Hub to the service user’s doorstep. They will need to have their own mobile phone so that if there is no answer from the service user when knocking at their door, they can call the service user to advise them of delivery.
Volunteer Profile: The volunteer will be aware of the need for service user confidentiality and dignity by remaining discrete when delivering food parcels. The volunteer will be aware of and adhere to the Parish Trust’s safeguarding policy.
Tasks:
- To collect and load vehicles with food parcels ready to take to the service user’s doorstep.
- To ensure that the service user is home at time of delivery by waiting for a response to knock at the door.
- If a service user is not home the delivery driver can call the service user to ascertain alternative delivery arrangements within reasonable time remit but,
- If a service user is not home and no immediate alternative is available, the delivery driver will return the food parcels to the Food Hub to ensure that food is maintained at appropriate temperatures.
- To maintain service user’s privacy and data protection the volunteer will leave all paperwork with the service user for them to dispose of appropriately.
Training: The volunteer will be given training on the debit/credit card machines available for service users who wish to make a donation. The volunteer will have access to the Parish Trust’s policies and guidelines.
Anyone with a full UK driving licence is eligible to use their own vehicle to deliver parcels.
Delivery Driver (using The Parish Trust’s delivery van)
Brief Description: The Delivery Driver Volunteer’s role is to assist our service users by collecting prepared food parcels from the Food Hub and delivering to the doorstep of the service user.
Essential Equipment: The volunteer will be willing to use the Parish Trust’s van to transport food parcels from the Food Hub to the service user’s doorstep. They will need to have their own mobile phone so that if there is no answer from the service user when knocking at their door, they can call the service user to advise them of delivery.
Volunteer Profile: The volunteer will be aware of the need for service user confidentiality and dignity by remaining discrete when delivering food parcels. The volunteer will be aware of and adhere to the PArish Trust’s safeguarding policy.
Tasks:
- To collect and load vehicles with food parcels ready to take to the service user’s doorstep.
- To ensure that the service user is home at time of delivery by waiting for a response to knock at the door.
- If a service user is not home the delivery driver can call the service user to ascertain alternative delivery arrangements within reasonable time remit but,
- If a service user is not home and no immediate alternative is available, the delivery driver will return the food parcels to the Food Hub to ensure that food is maintained at appropriate temperatures.
- To maintain service user’s privacy and data protection the volunteer will leave all paperwork with the service user for them to dispose of appropriately.
Training: The volunteer will be given training on the debit/credit card machines available for service users who wish to make a donation. The volunteer will have access to the Parish Trust’s policies and guidelines.
To be eligible to drive The Parish Trust’s delivery van, you need to:
- Have a full UK driving licence,
- Be over 25,
- Have a clean driving licence and not have had any accidents in the last 5 years.
You also need to bring in your drivers licence and national insurance number so that we can run a check on your licence.
Food Collector
Brief Description: The Food Collector Volunteer’s role is to pick up food from a specific place at a specific time, bring it back to the Food Hub safely, and appropriately label and put away all food.
Essential Equipment: The volunteer will be willing to drive their own vehicle to transport food collections from the shop/warehouse and deliver it to the Food Hub.
Volunteer Profile: The volunteer will be aware of the food hub policy and safety guidelines for storing and labelling food.
Tasks:
- To be efficient and on time to the location given by the Food Operations Officer.
- To ensure that the food is packed safely into the vehicle before delivering it to the food hub.
- To unload all the food into the food hub and to clock the food in, label it and put it all away.
Training: The volunteer will be given training on the food hub food health and safety policy.
We currently have enough food collectors for the amount of collections we need to do – however if you would like to be contacted if a slot becomes available in the future, please apply for this.
CARE Collector
Brief Description: The CARE Collector Volunteer’s role is to drop leaflets at every house on a street or multiple streets, and then collect the food donations at the specified time and date and then bring that back to the food hub.
Essential Equipment: The volunteer will be willing to drive their own vehicle to transport food collections from their street(s) and bring it to the food hub.
Volunteer Profile: The volunteer will be aware of the food hub policy and safety guidelines for storing and labelling food.
Tasks:
- To be efficient and on time to drop the leaflets off and the collect the food donations
- To ensure that the food is packed safely into the vehicle before delivering it to the food hub.
Training: The volunteer will be given training on the food hub food health and safety policy.
Please note that CARE Collections are a monthly occurrence, so someone will be in touch with you about CARE Collections nearer the time of the collection itself.
