This is the front page of the SCA handbook. You can download a pdf version to read offline here (120 mB)
Cambridge SCA exists to encourage the involvement of students in voluntary community work, providing services to disadvantaged groups within the community and giving students a valuable learning experience. We actively recruit students from both the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University.
We offer more than 70 volunteering opportunities. Ten of these projects are internal managed and known as “internal projects” since they cater specifically to the interests of Cambridge students; the other projects are run by a wide range of external organisations which we recruit for.
We aim to get every student involved in volunteering at least once during their Cambridge careers; if you’ve never tried it, how do you know you don’t like it?
Join us to make your mark.
SCA is an independent charity, which recruits and places student volunteers from the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University in projects in the local community. SCA volunteers really do make a difference; join us to make your mark. Volunteers normally give between 1-3 hours per week and all our projects are within cycling distance of the city centre.
This projects aims to provide a volunteer befriender for vulnerable children. They may have suffered a bereavement, be on children protection plans, be socially excluded, have disabilities, learning difficulties or behavioural problems, or have family members who have disabilities, learning difficulties or behavioural problems.
Volunteers act as an “adopted” older brother or sister to the child, visiting the child about once a week. Big sibs often take their little sib out to the local playground, go bike riding, to the cinema, do arts and crafts, cooking, or even just watch TV with them. About once or twice a term group activities are arranged as well, such as our termly children’s’ parties, zoo trips, pantomime trips etc. Only activities approved by the parent/guardian/ carer are undertaken.
Reliability is crucial as children and parents get very upset if they are let down.
The family will either live within biking distance of central Cambridge (4 miles from the Market Square), or be willing travel into Cambridge to meet the volunteer. Occassionally we accept families further out, so if you are happy to get the bus to visit your sib let us know (we will reimburse bus fares). Little Siblings are aged between 5 and 11 years of age.
Volunteers are required to complete a 2 hour Child Protection training session, provided by SCA, within their first term of volunteering.
Pathways to Literacy gives volunteers the opportunity to improve the reading abilities of local school children, volunteers are paired up with a few children struggling with their literacy, and all of the volunteers visit each week at a given time to read with each child and give them a bit of extra help.
This project is running in Coleridge School, Manor School and St Matthews School. Please see our calendar or contact the office for details of timings.
COLERIDGE
Wednesday 10:45 - 11:40 and/or 11:40 - 12:30
Thursday 11:40 - 12:30 and/or 13:10 - 14:00
ST MATTHEWS
All days:
Key Stage One
Morning session 8.45 – 10.20
Morning session 10.40 – 11.40
Afternoon session 1.00 – 2.15
Afternoon session 2.30 – 3.20
Key Stage Two
Morning session 8.45 – 10.20
Morning session 10.40 – 12.20
Afternoon session 1.20 – 3.20
SCA is starting a new befriending club for elderly people at St George's Care Home (on Hills Road) in January 2011.
We're looking for volunteers to run activities there such as cooking, arts and crafts, a book club, board games, trips out to local museums and gardens, or whatever creative ideas you can think of!
Please get in touch if you'd like to organise these types of activities (with help from SCA staff), or even if you'd like to go along and help out at the sessions but don't have the time to plan and organise them.
SCA's very own free sports club for vulnerable and disadvantaged children. An hour and a half of manic fun-filled sports games, prepare to be exhausted!
Volunteers work with a group of disadvantaged children to give them experiences that they would not normally have access to, such as climbing, archery, trampolining, football, basketball or short tennis.
Some of the children involved may have learning, behavioural or physical disabilities and so need a little extra help to get involved.
This term we're hoping to run:
- Kung Fu
- A bowling trip
- Football
- Tennis
- Playground games
And some other stuff tbc.
If you want to organise a session, or just to come along and support the kids during the sessions, please get in touch. You don't need any experience, or to be skilled in any sports, just a willingness to much in and run around!
who? elderly residents of local care homes
when? 7pm on Wednesdays
where? various locations around Cambridge City (minibus transport is provided from a central pick-up point)
Volunteers entertain in the form of sing-alongs, group performances, solos and occasional readings. They also have refreshments and chat with the residents during the evening – an aspect as important as the entertainment. Volunteers of all musical standards are welcome.
4 - 6pm on Wednesday afternoons:
Get out the glitter, glue, paper and paints and prepare to get your hands mucky! Craft Room gives disadvantaged children the chance to have some creative fun whilst enjoying the attention of SCA volunteers; re-live your Blue Peter days.
This project is for female volunteers only.
The aim is to help children from mainstream schools who are having difficulty with their academic work. This is typically in the form of an after school club. We occassionally have requests for one-to-one help from children who are particularly struggling, e.g. those with learning difficulties.
This is great project if you are looking for experience of working with children in an educational environment. The aim is to help children from mainstream schools who are having difficulty with their academic work. Teaching can be in small groups or on a one-to-one basis.
This project is running in St Philips, St Lukes, Manor and St Matthews schools. Please check our calendar or contact the office for details.
Are you free on Sunday mornings for an hour and a half to take a group of really fragile kids to the park? If so we'd love to hear from you.
Here's a sample of what the project can be like:
First-off, we meet and collect the kids then herd them to the park, which is where the fun begins; we get locked in imaginary caves, display appalling football skills, go on mystery train journeys, get dizzy on the roundabout, climb to the top of the world (or the climbing frame, depending on your point of view) and generally just feel like big kids for a couple of hours!
It might sounds simple, but these kids don't get to go out without their parents much, and this time makes an enormous difference to their lives. You don't need to come every week just when you can.
SCA's befriending club for elderly people at Linnet House Care Home (near Mill Road).
We're looking for volunteers to run activities there such as cooking, arts and crafts, a book club, board games, trips out to local museums and gardens, or whatever creative ideas you can think of!
Please get in touch if you'd like to organise these types of activities (with help from SCA staff), or even if you'd like to go along and help out at the sessions but don't have the time to plan and organise them.
Volunteers share tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits with elderly residents. There is often some form of entertainment – music, a visiting juggler or belly dancer, bingo or sometimes the afternoon takes the form of just a pleasant sit and chat.
SCA's befriending club for elderly people at Dichburn Place Care Home (on Mill Road).
We're looking for volunteers to run activities there such as cooking, arts and crafts, a book club, board games, trips out to local museums and gardens, or whatever creative ideas you can think of!
Please get in touch if you'd like to organise these types of activities (with help from SCA staff), or even if you'd like to go along and help out at the sessions but don't have the time to plan and organise them.
Monday afternoons, 3.15 - 4.30pm at St Lukes School
Run by a parent at teh school, volunteer as a helper getting messy at this creative afterschool club!
Friday afternoons 3.15-4.30pm at St Lukes School
Choosing and setting up a film with a group of kids, and supervising them during the film.
Cooking on Saturdays for low income and homeless
Cooking from 10am
Lunch served at 12.30
At the Centre at St Pauls on Hills Road
Contact Jessamyn to get involved - cjrm3@cam.ac.uk
Thursday afternoons at St Matthews School (3.20-4.30pm)
Help out playing netball for an hour at this afterschool club
Thursday afternoons 3.30 - 4.30pm at St Matthews School
You don't need to be a sewing expert to help out at this afterschool club, although it does help to know your way around a sewing machine!
Anyone else that gets in touch with SCA to ask for a volunteer will be considered under our taskforce project.
Examples of requests include:
- Befriending lonely elderly people in their homes
- Helping physically disabled people to get out of their homes (for walking, shopping, exercise classes, to the library etc.)
- Befriending young adults with physical and learning disabilities.
- Gardening for elderly people
- Teaching English as a Second Language for adults
- Befriending people suffering from depression or other forms of mental health problems.
TESL is a one-to-one scheme for bilingual children who need help with their English. Working closely with the child’s teacher, volunteers usually visit their child at home to help with general reading and writing skills. Sometimes help is needed in the classroom when volunteers work under the direction of their teacher.
Currently we take individual referrals and also work with Coleridge, St Matthews, St Philips and Manor Schools.
We also recruit for numerour other projects in and around Cambridge, so if none of the SCA projects take your fancy get in touch to chat about what else you could do!
"AccessArt designs and delivers creative projects in the community and in schools, working with learners of all ages. This learning and teaching is then developed and shared via the AccessArt web site, which is a richly textured, dynamic and inspirational resource bank aimed at pupils, students and life-long-learners, as well as teachers, gallery educators and artists.
Visit our online workshops to explore sculpture, drawing, photography, installation art, colour and teenage creativity."
Arts projects for people suffering from mental health problems. The ’Arts on Prescription‘ pilot project in Cambridgeshire offers a non drug based alternative (or supplementary) intervention for people experiencing mild to moderate mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.
Front of House Assistants
Evenings (7pm - late)
One term minimum commitment
Training given on the job
Theatre assistants needed for ripping ticket stubs, selling programmes, working on the bar etc. Get to see shows for free, you can volunteer in pairs.
Our volunteers, musicians from any genre, can give their time by performing, running workshops, assisting with children's musicals and tea dances for the elderly, or supervising at events. Whatever your talent or ability there is something to get involved with and we are interested in your ideas for new activities too!
Addenbrookes
Performers, support volunteers, running workshops etc.
Weds and Thurs 2.30-3.30pm
"Dedicated to creating projects in the community , made up from university volunteers, will share their expertise, passion and enthusiasm for music by running practical music projects and performances in schools and community settings such as the local hospital.
Recent projects include: a travelling Gamelan workshop on a gutted bus visiting the village colleges as part of the Festival of Ideas, a composition project for gifted and talented young people working with a group of university composers and a series of performances in various wards at Addenbrookes Hospital. It will take a while for the programme to be up-and-running smoothly but this new appointment demonstrates the faculty’s dedication to ‘opening-up’ the department and sharing its passion and expertise with the community."
Student Groups
Fridays 1.15-2.45pm (Gamelan Group)
who? young people (16-25)
when? Flexible and variable opportunities available
where? Centre 33 (central Cambridge) and/or private homes
We support groups of young people to create peer education projects (anything from murals to short films) on issues they identify as important. Range of flexible volunteering opportunities: group support, mentoring, training or office-based work.
We encourage adults with disabilities to get involved with in theatre productions. They are supported by able-bodied volunteers who work alongside them and also take part in the productions.
Want to combine your interest in drama and the theatre with a desire to volunteer? Then this is the job for you.
Voluntary positions greatly enhance your curriculum vitae for the future; as well as helping you to build on transferable skills for future employment and providing a valuable service to the local community. As if that wasn't enough it can be a great way to make friends, learn about yourself and have fun.
We are looking for volunteers to act as enablers at our inclusive theatre company working with adults with disabilities. Experience not necessary but enthusiasm and a positive attitude are a must.
When we meet...
Every other Saturday during term time
Time we meet...
11am - 2pm
Place we meet...
The Hester Adrian Center, Hawthorne Way, Cambridge, CB4 1AX
The Artistic Director of Libra Theatre Company, Stephanie Negal, is a graduate of Anglia Ruskin University awarded a BA (Hons) Drama and English degree in 2007 and an MA Writing for Publication & Performance from the University of Leeds in 2009.
See also:
Big Sibs
Bounce
Craft Room
Homework Help
Parklife
Pathways to Literacy
Teaching English as a Second Language
who? Children in age ranges 6 to 8, 8 to 10, 10 to 14, 14 to 18
when? 2 to 3 hours per week plus some planning time and occasional weekend activities
where? Various locations around Cambridge
Scouts provides an opportunity to develop leadership and team skills through camping, adventurous activities and travel. Adult volunteers are required to help deliver an active programme of indoor and outdoor activities.
Fundraising, events and office Volunteers
EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. We provide care and support wherever the family wishes – in families’ own homes, in hospital or at one of our hospices in Ipswich, Milton and Quidenham. We are a registered charity (no. 1069284) and this year need to raise £4 million in donations to deliver our services. This amounts to £11,000 a day, every day of the year.
Guiding: Rainbows aged 5-7, Brownies aged 7-10 and Guides aged 10-14.
Enthusiastic volunteers are needed to help run local Rainbow, Brownie and Guide groups. You’ll make new friends, have fun, develop skills in leadership, teamwork, communication, and, most importantly, make a real difference to the lives of today’s girls and young women.
Scouting:
Beavers (Wednesday, 6.30pm to 7.30pm) - 6 to 8 year olds
Cubs (Tuesday, 6.45pm to 8.00pm approx) - 8 to 10 year olds
Scouts (Friday) - 10 to 14 year olds
who? children (0-5) with various disabilities
when? Mondays 12.45 - 3.15pm (this time has remained the same for years and is unlikely to change)
where? Histon Village
There's a warm welcome for you to come and play with our preschool children. This helps families to cope with the challenges of having a child with special needs and gives their children a boost in confidence.
13th Cambridge Scout Group urgently requires Leaders/Helpers for the following groups:
Beavers: Tuesdays from 6 – 7pm (term time only)
Cubs: Mondays from 6 – 7.30pm (term time only)
Scouts: Mondays from 7.30 to 9pm (term time only)
Where? at the Scout Hut, Cyprus Road, off Mill Road
Previous experience of Scouts/Guides is helpful but not as essential as an enthusiasm for working with children. Training can be provided.
Seeking to recruit keen and able society Chairs who would be responsible for working with the university Students’ Union and Barnardo's to set up the society prior to the start of the new academic year. They would also be responsible for recruiting a committee and society members and devising a programme of activity for the group to undertake in order to establish a society which was beneficial both to Barnardo's and to the student community.
Campus Children’s Holidays
Campus Helper
As a helper, you spend a week with children who are having the summer holiday they deserve! Hippo (day) project involves lots of playing, arts and crafts and swimming with children 6-11. The residential project is for children 8-13, and the activities are as wide ranging as rock climbing, horse riding, and making your own pizza at a restaurant! Your duties will be engaging with the children, giving them plenty of attention, and keeping them safe while they have as much fun as they can.
Various weeks available end July to end of August.
1 week minimum commitment
Liverpool
Food and accomodation are free Campus Children's Holidays is a lively mix of young kids, older kids, volunteers, families, more kids, activities, exhaustion, and fun. Working with Liverpool Social Services, this Cambridge-based charity provides holidays for children from inner-city Liverpool, a chance for kids to take on activities they otherwise would never experience, and an all-too-rare opportunity for families to gain some respite from often difficult circumstances.
Reccy Rangers "Reccy Rangers work in neighbourhoods, encouraging the community (especially children and young people) to use their local recreation grounds and get involved in community projects. Reccy rangers run regular supervised play sessions throughout the year, develop projects in neighbourhoods in response to need and are involved in consulting with children and young people about new play and sport facilities."
Urban Adventure Play
It is about climbing trees, den building, pond dipping, camping, recycling, finding out about the seasons, learning about change, respecting wildlife, getting messy, doing something that you can't do at home.
HeyDaze
HeyDaze is a partnership project involving Community Development, The Red Hen Project, Social Services and the Youth Offending Service. It has been running since 2002 and aims to provide a four day residential and fortnightly activities for two groups of children aged 9-13 years old. The project aims to increase self esteem and develop confidence and help children get involved in social and leisure provision in neighbourhoods.
The Dec
"The Dec is a mobile youth bus which visits Abbey, Arbury, Cherry Hinton, East Chesterton, City Centre, Kings Hedges, Queen Edith’s and Trumpington.
It has information, technology, multimedia facilities and games."
Scrapstore The Chypps Scrapstore provides a source of recycled materials for children and young people to use in art, craft and play activities. We also sell arts and crafts equipment at cost price.
Badgers (5-10years)
Youth Leader
Wednesdays during term time
Cadets (10-16 years)
Youth Leader
Wednesdays during term time
Community Programme
First Aid Volunteer
who? children
when? flexible
where? within Cambridge during term, elsewhere out of term
CHaOS aims to inspire children about science through fun, interactive experiments. At out events, volunteers demonstrate experiments to small groups of children, giving a more personal approach to learning. Events are run throughout the year so volunteers pick whose which appeal most.
CHaOS are a group of science students keen to inspire and excite the public, especially children, through fun, interactive experiments. Each year we run "Crash, Bang, Squelch" as part of the Cambridge Science Festival, and a month-long Summer Roadshow around the country. We also visit schools and take part in local festivals such as Strawberry Fair and the Cambridge Children's Festival. Get in touch to volunteer to help with these and other events.
Volunteer reading service, magazine etc.
Green End Road, and various homes around Cambridge
Camread is a long-standing local charity that fund-raises to keep its services running free of charge. Camread works closely with Cam Sight and is housed in the same building at Green End road. We supply a visiting volunteer reading service to visually impaired people in Cambridge and surrounding villages. Camread also produces Cam-mag – a very popular information and local interest audio magazine, distributed across the county. As well, Camread records local journals, parish magazines and local books for the library. The enthusiasm, willingness and commitment of the numerous volunteers of Camread remain its central driving force.
e-Learning
urgently need additional volunteers to help support our learners.
You don't have to be a computer expert!
2 hours a week, morning or afternoon
e-learning centre (Hawthorn Way)
An educational charity based in Cambridge, providing people with FREE access to computers and the internet, as well as advice on using them. We provide 20 community access points hosted by different organisations around the City, usually in community centres, where members of the public can come and use the computers without charge. They also run an award winning project which enables people with any kind of disability to access computers, and then pass on their skills to other people. With only two members of permanent staff, volunteers are involved in every aspect of running the organisation and we rely heavily on the fantastic support they provide.
Education Workshops
CDiAV Volunteer:
- Delivering workshops. Usually two volunteers will share the facilitation of a workshop for 12-25 participants.
- Contacting schools to set up workshops.
- Developing or editing workshops according to particular interests within the field of development.
- Organising fundraising events.
- Committee positions may be available.
CDiAV is a Cambridge-based project working in association with the development education NGO Development in Action (DiA). CDiAV exists to deliver free workshops about development education and responsible overseas volunteering to local schools (16+) and community groups. Topics include Ethical Overseas Volunteering; Cultural Awareness; An Introduction to Development Education; How to implement Development Education in volunteering; Building partnerships overseas.
who? school pupils, teachers, students
when? no minimum commitment
where? local schools and at our storage location
Our student volunteers give presentations to schools pupils to promote student volunteering, young social enterprise, recycling and global citizenship. We also have a number of student-run READ Book Projects, which collect disused, high-quality textbooks from school for further use.
who? children (4-18)
when? 2 hours/wk (you only commit to one term at a time)
where? schools within 25 minutes cycling distance of the city centre
Volunteers are assigned to a class at a primary or secondary schools to help with maths, science and IT teaching by helping individuals and small groups. You select the ages and subjects you wish to work with.
who? unemployed adults (18+)
when? half-day/week
where? walking distance from city centre
This project supports and delivers training sessions for our members to help them find employment. Volunteers are needed to help with administration, reception duties, marketing and research. Volunteers can also get involved in delivering job-related and self-development training sessions.
Various Researchers
One or two days a week
Girton
"BirdLife International is a global partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habits and global diversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources."
who? variable
when? no minimum commitment
where? Cambridge Botanical Gardens
There are plenty of opportunities for volunteers to help: organising our monthly ‘drop-in’ family art event; helping with our schools programme; event planning; compiling exhibition materials; producing publicity materials and data collation.
Healthy Walks, conservation work, office volunteering, running the Healthy Walks programme
* helping with conservation work
* joining one of our Working Groups
* providing support in the office
* everything in between!
Volunteers bring a wide range of invaluable skills and interests from all walks of life. "
"Cambridge Past, Present & Future (CambridgePPF) - a charity working to keep Cambridge and its surroundings special by positively influencing planning developments, delivering environmental education and managing the Green spaces and historic buildings in its care – for the benefit for all."
Midweek Conservation Group
Conservation volunteers
Normally Thursdays 9.30am - 4pm
free transport
Conservation group working in local nature reserves etc.
Tuesday Conservation Group
Conservation volunteers
Tuesdays 9.30am - 3.30pm
Various around Cambridge
The City Greenways Project works in the same way as the Cambridge Green Belt Project, but is solely based within Cambridge City boundaries. Cambridge City Council help set up and fund the project. Work needs to be carried out on the wildlife sites of Cambridge to protect the wildlife present.
Taking the Cambridge Carbon Footprint stall with our carbon footprint calculator and other activities, to public events
* Helping organise Low Carbon Network events
* Facilitating Carbon Conversations groups
* Carrying out home energy surveys"
We provide free training for all of the above.
We would also like to hear from you if you have special skills or experience such as design and layout, media work, fundraising, IT, etc, and also if you have specialist knowledge in the field of climate change, carbon reduction or communicating about climate change.
Cambridge Carbon Footprint is a local, voluntary organisation concerned with climate change. Our aim is to help people work together creatively to make real reductions in their CO2 emissions.
We aim to raise awareness about climate change whilst encouraging and supporting people to take personal responsibility for reducing carbon emissions. We run several projects including Carbon Conversations Courses, stalls and workshops in the community and the Akashi project.
20 different roles from supporting the nursing team on our In Patient Unit to gardening, hairdressing to fundraising, driving to admin support.
Depends on the specific team, ranging from a few hours one weekend with the fundraising team to a full day once per week
6 months minimum commitment
Mandatory induction training (3 hours) held approx four times per year in a group. It must be completed before volunteers can begin.
Ongoing mandatory training annually
Arthur Rank House provides specialist palliative care services for people over 18 who have life limiting illnesses. It also provides support for the relatives, friends and professionals involved with their care.
who? local community
when? flexible
where? cycling distance from the city centre
We have a range of volunteering opportunities including joining our Cambridge First Aid group and providing First Aid cover at local events. In addition, we have a medical loan service, which needs volunteers to help maintain and repair equipment, and opportunities for volunteers to help.
Befrienders
Our expanding befriending scheme helps encourage isolated people to regain a social life and be more confident.
One or two hours a week
Cam-mind is committed to raising awareness of mental health issues and to tackling the stigma and discrimination that is often the biggest barrier to recovery. We are working locally to provide mental health/wellbeing workshops and information to local businesses and organisations, and will be among the first in the area to deliver the nationally-recognised Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training.
Art Group Volunteers
Tuesday 11am-1pm
Sunday Lunch Group
looking for a volunteer to manage our Sunday Lunch group with help from volunteers twice a month
Sunday 12.30pm–3pm
Monday Textiles Group "Sewing, knitting, crochet etc. Any skills you can bring to the group would be welcome.
NO NEED TO BE AN EXPERT!"
Monday 11am–12.45pm
Thursday Evening Group Bingo, table tennis, DVD nights, games night — come along — help and have fun.
Thursday 7.30pm–9pm
Fundraising, events and office
We help visually impaired people lead a life of independence by offering services including a resource centre, IT training, social groups and sports. Much of what we do is assisted by volunteers who befriend, drive and escort members to various events.
. Visiting people in their home for a chat
• Reading
• Helping at Cam Sight village groups
• Escorting and driving visually impaired people
• Fundraising and collections
• Administration"
Green End Road, and various homes around Cambridge
Cam Sight is a charity, working with blind and partially sighted people within Cambridgeshire. Its vision is a society where visually impaired people enjoy the same rights and opportunities as other people and where no-one feels isolated or excluded due to losing their sight. Cam Sight strives to make this vision a reality by supporting blind and partially sighted people in maintaining their independence and quality of life.
DHIVerse fights the spread of HIV infection by increasing public awareness of HIV and AIDS. We have a variety of volunteering roles including: delivering training to young people; sexual health outreach in pubs and clubs; raising awareness of HIV in the workplace; organising and fundraising for health promotion events; preparing press releases.
* club outreach volunteer
* school speaker
* media co-ordinator
* events co-ordinator
* volunteer recruitment co-ordinator
* web designer
* graphic design volunteer
* treasurer
* befriender
* advocacy support volunteer
* volunteer driver
* collector
* fundraising collections co-ordinator
* corporate giving officer
* trainer
* newsletter co-ordinator
* Christmas catalogue co-ordinator
who? adults with acquired brain injury
when? 2 hours/week
where? Headway Centre, Mill Road, Cambridge
We provide specialist rehabilitative day services to people with an acquired brain injury, their family and their carers. Activities include cognitive work, gym, creative writing, group work, art projects, allotment groups, drama, Tai Chi, IT and WiiHab.
who? ARU and Cambridge University students
when? 3-4 half-night sessions/term
where? central Cambridge
Linkline is a confidential listening and information service run by students for students between 7pm and 7am every night during Cambridge University Full Term. Volunteers and clients come from both ARU and Cambridge University. Volunteers are given full training.
aim? To support children and young people (ages 13 - 25) who have a learning disability and/or a physical diasbility to access activities or hobbies of their choice.
when? 2-4 hours every 3 or 4 weeks.
where? The local community or the young person’s home.
Typically a volunteer befriender might go to the cinema or go shopping and have a coffee with the young person they befriend. This can make a real difference to young peoples’ lives. It gives them an opportunity to develop friendships and the chance to do ordinary things without their main carers. It can improve self-esteem and also help to develop independence skills.
Ideally we’d like to hear from people who are settled in Cambridge and so can develop a meaningful relationship with a young person over a period of time. We will make sure that volunteers are given training and ongoing support to ensure they enjoy their volunteering experience.
who? adults with multiple sclerosis
when? 10.30-12.30pm on Wednesdays or Fridays
where? Meadows Community Centre, Arbury
We have recently acquired a Motomed cycling machine which is designed to increase strength and movement in the legs - even wheelchair users can benefit from this. Volunteers are needed to help people to use the machine, check the readings and chat to users.
Badgers (5-10years)
Youth Leader
Wednesdays during term time
Cadets (10-16 years)
Youth Leader
Wednesdays during term time
Community Programme
First Aid Volunteer
Various Fundraising, events, PR etc.
Humanitarian Centre
Aiducation International provides high-school scholarships for top talents in developing countries. We're currently active in Kenya (and have fundraising chapters in Switzerland, Germany, the UK, and Singapore), and plan to target a set-up a new location to impact beneficiaries in Asia (the Philippines or Bangladesh) by the end of 2010. We're also strongly expanding into new fundraising chapters (most prominently the US).
Aptivate volunteers, Cambridge
Aptivate is an NGO that specialises in IT for International Development. We work with other non-profits, charities, and NGOs as technical consultants, facilitators and trainers, web / software developers, and to provide hosting services, on a wide range of projects.We also carry out projects in our own areas of interest, mainly focused on increasing global access to web resources, by promoting low-bandwidth web design, making tools to help network managers and people browsing the web in less well connected environments, and providing training workshops and resources, both for network managers and for people new to using computers and the internet.
We’re currently 10 people working full and part time, both in and out of Cambridge, assisted by a number of part-time volunteers. We’ve got a heap of requested work on at the moment and we could really use some skilled help to take on some of the workload! We’re currently looking to hire experienced web developers. We also take on a number of volunteers every year.
We mainly work on Linux environments, and we’re developing in Django/Python and PHP at the moment, having moved on from a lot of Java projects previously. We use test-driven-development and agile methodologies adapted for small projects. Although everyone has areas of expertise and responsibilities within the organisation, we all wear many hats; we manage the organisation collectively, and we expect and encourage anyone working with us to take part fully in that.
If you’re interested in finding out more about us you’d be welcome to pop in for lunch and an informal chat anytime; we eat together most days at our office in the Humanitarian Centre.
Various Internships and office volunteering
Humanitarian Centre
Cambridge to Africa supports educational projects in Uganda, through the Child Africa International Project in Uganda. It also undertakes research into all aspects of education in Africa, including the provision of an open publishing platform via the Itupale Online Journal of African Studies.
Wanted: Would you like to be part of a team that helps change lives in Africa? Cards from Africa, a Social Enterprise business, based in Cambridge is seeking to recruit bright, outgoing, friendly people to work part time on a volunteer basis. CfA provides dignified employment to survivors of the genocide and AIDS in Rwanda. We do this by employing them to manufacture handmade cards which we now sell in the UK. Our motto is Beautiful Cards, Better Lives and we have seen hundreds of people whose lives have been changed in remarkable ways over the last few years. We need volunteers able to give, say, 1 or 2 half days a week, more if you can, to contact and manage retailers, as well as carry out various admin tasks.
Education Workshops
CDiAV Volunteer:
- Delivering workshops. Usually two volunteers will share the facilitation of a workshop for 12-25 participants.
- Contacting schools to set up workshops.
- Developing or editing workshops according to particular interests within the field of development.
- Organising fundraising events.
- Committee positions may be available.
CDiAV is a Cambridge-based project working in association with the development education NGO Development in Action (DiA). CDiAV exists to deliver free workshops about development education and responsible overseas volunteering to local schools (16+) and community groups. Topics include Ethical Overseas Volunteering; Cultural Awareness; An Introduction to Development Education; How to implement Development Education in volunteering; Building partnerships overseas.
EWB-UK and its affiliated branches at 30 Universities across the UK depends on the active participation of its dedicated volunteers.
Volunteers find that their input and effort can make a huge impact and they are hugely valued. No matter what area a volunteer is working in they can have significant impact on the success of the organisation
EWB-UK Volunteers
Volunteers make up the National Executive and Programme and Support Area Teams - they play a vital role in the capacity of our organisation.
Positions on the National Executive are advertised via the website annually for the start of each new academic year. You can also get involved in organising events, presenting to varying audiences, reviewing applications, producing publicity material, creating workshops and meeting like minded people amongst other fantastic opportunities by either contacting your area of interest or finding out more about positions (both paid and unpaid) available within EWB-UK.
Volunteers receive training for their role, they take on clearly defined positions and are well supported by our network of members.
Volunteering for your branch
If there is a branch at your University then contact them to see how you can get involved with their activities.
Volunteers currently take on a huge variety of exciting roles from organising trips, events, training courses to going to schools to deliver outreach programmes.
New ideas for activities are driven by you the volunteers
Not at a University with a Branch?
If your University does not have an EWB-UK Branch then you can search for your nearest branch and get involved with them. Alternatively you might like to think about starting a branch of your own.
Not at University?
If you are no longer studying at a University, our active Professional Network has opportunities. This support network is rapidly growing and like the rest of the charity is always keen to have new members and volunteers from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds.
Development Report distributors
The Humanitarian Centre has recently published a new report, ‘Cambridge and International Development’, which explores how Cambridge innovation has a positive impact on the lives of some of the world’s poorest people. The report features a series of case studies drawn from the work of Cambridge businesses, NGOs, academics and consultants. The Humanitarian Centre is looking for volunteers to help with the practical task of distributing the report around Cambridge! If you have a bike or car (or just like walking!) and a bit of spare time, we’d appreciate your help.
Cambridge has an active humanitarian community engaged in international relief and development work. The Humanitarian Centre seeks to report on interesting development-related activities local people are involved in. If you are interested in international development work and/or journalism the volunteer opportunity of reporter for the Humanitarian Centre could be perfect for you! The role involves writing short articles about events and activities related to international development that have some connection to the Cambridge area. We are looking for someone with good writing skills, and a keen interest in international development to spend about four hours per week on this role.
Transforming Business volunteers, Cambridge
Transforming Business is a project in the University of Cambridge focused on enterprise solutions to poverty. We are particularly interested in the role of ethics and entrepreneurship in human development. We are in need of voluntary research, admin, IT, events and fundraising support. The work is stimulating and creative, with flexible hours, and it can be done from wherever.
who? office staff
when? flexible
where? central Cambridge
We look after orphaned and abandoned children in 123 countries across the world, as well as running community outreach projects, schools, medical centres and emergency relief programmes. The Cambridge office is a fundraising office, where we occasionally need help with administrative tasks like filing, writing projects overviews, entering information on our donor database and promoting our work.
See also:
Betty Stubben's Musical Entertainment Group
Saturday Club
Sunday Club
who? Older and housebound vulnerable people
when? 1 hour per week
where? Usually in the visitees own home
CONTACT is the students' visiting service for the housebound and older people of Cambridge. We pair up Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin University students with elderly and housebound residents in Cambridge; arrange weekly visits during term time, and organising fundraiser events and termly events for the residents. The charity has been run in Cambridge for a long time by a student committee with a paid administrative officer.
(registered charity no 800834)
who? Older people over the age of 75 years
when? 2 hours per week, some one-off opportunities
where? Mainly at St. Martin’s Church, Suez Road, Cambridge. Some outside our project base
St. Martin’s Centre is a day facility providing support, social and recreational activities for older people at risk of being isolated in the community. Based at St. Martin’s Church in Suez Road Cambridge, we seek to provide a range of activities that our members can enjoy, using the skills and interests of each individual volunteer.
who? dogs and their owners
when? flexible
where? pick-up from homes around Cambridge
We provide help with day-to-day care of pets for terminally ill people and the elderly. Dog walking is one of the services we offer; we do not expect volunteers to go out every day with the dog as we match at least 2-3 volunteers per household so that the task can be shared.
Café volunteers
Open Tuesday – Friday, 10.30am to 3.00pm.
Emmanuel United Reformed Church, Trumpington Street,
Fare Shares is a community café run by volunteers including people with learning disabilities. It serves delicious home cooked food in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
IMPORTANT: The Cafe needs a new place to live! The moved out of 22 Jesus Lane on 25th August 2011. Please visit http://www.cafeproject.org for up-to-date information
The Café Project is an independent, not-for-profit, non-alcoholic café/community centre that is affordable and open in the evenings, set up in Spring 2008.
It hosts a variety of activities and events and is used by several different community groups, as well as being open as a café, providing a quiet, corporate-free space with tea and cake.
We are always open to suggestions for future progressions, and encourage active participation in this community project.
The café is organised and run non-hierarchically by volunteers.
Opening hours are currently evenings, 7.30pm-11pm, we are always looking to increase opening times if volunteers are available at different times.
Befrienders
Harston
Training given
"Dimensions is a not-for-profit organisation, providing support for people with learning difficulties.
We have opportunities for people (maybe studying health and social care but not exclusively) to work along side care professionals in a number of services around Cambridgeshire which provide support for young adults with learning difficulties/autism in their own homes. To begin with we want to set up some volunteers to befriend people at our service in Harston, and to get involved with activities such as craft, music, reading, games etc. Health and Social care students may possibly like to gain experience with supporting these young people with other routine daily tasks however we would not expect volunteers to undertake any personal care. "
Helpers needed for high functioning autism youth club
Cambridge Disabled Kids Swimming Club
Swimming Club
Assist and support children in the water
One hour per week - Sundays 4-5pm plus other possibilities but times subject to change
Chesterton Pool Cambridge, Parkside Pool Cambridge, Windmill Pool Fulbourn
Promotes and provides a range of swimming sessions for children with disabilities, some including instruction and using volunteers to help. Some sessions for younger children include the whole family.
aim? To support children and young people (ages 13 - 25) who have a learning disability and/or a physical diasbility to access activities or hobbies of their choice.
when? 2-4 hours every 3 or 4 weeks.
where? The local community or the young person’s home.
Typically a volunteer befriender might go to the cinema or go shopping and have a coffee with the young person they befriend. This can make a real difference to young peoples’ lives. It gives them an opportunity to develop friendships and the chance to do ordinary things without their main carers. It can improve self-esteem and also help to develop independence skills.
Ideally we’d like to hear from people who are settled in Cambridge and so can develop a meaningful relationship with a young person over a period of time. We will make sure that volunteers are given training and ongoing support to ensure they enjoy their volunteering experience.
Want to combine your interest in drama and the theatre with a desire to volunteer? Then this is the job for you.
Voluntary positions greatly enhance your curriculum vitae for the future; as well as helping you to build on transferable skills for future employment and providing a valuable service to the local community. As if that wasn't enough it can be a great way to make friends, learn about yourself and have fun.
We are looking for volunteers to act as enablers at our inclusive theatre company working with adults with disabilities. Experience not necessary but enthusiasm and a positive attitude are a must.
When we meet...
Every other Saturday during term time
Time we meet...
11am - 2pm
Place we meet...
The Hester Adrian Center, Hawthorne Way, Cambridge, CB4 1AX
The Artistic Director of Libra Theatre Company, Stephanie Negal, is a graduate of Anglia Ruskin University awarded a BA (Hons) Drama and English degree in 2007 and an MA Writing for Publication & Performance from the University of Leeds in 2009.
who? homeless women
when? Monday evenings and/or Tuesday afternoons
where? within cycling distance from the city centre
We run a hostel for homeless women providing support and outreach. Volunteers are needed on Tuesdays for drop-in sessions, Monday evenings for the management collective and, occasionally, to provide study support.
who? homeless men and women adults (18+)
when? at least fortnightly (hours vary according to shift)
where? East Road, Cambridge
Jimmy's is open every night welcoming up to 31 people. We offer bed, food, showers, laundry, warmth and safety. Duties include serving meals, cleaning & tidying, giving support to guests and project workers.
Kitchen & Coffee Bar
Monday – Friday, 8.00am – 10.00am
Help with breakfast service, clearing up, making tea and coffee, restocking toast and cereal for clients and generally helping with the smooth running of the welfare service.
Service User Activities
Monday – Friday, Various time slots
Would you like to help out with our recreational activity sessions? Whether its art, drama, sport or music, we’d like to know, especially if you can spare time on a regular basis to share your skills and build trusting relationships with our service users
Information & Computer Technology
Days to be arranged, Negotiable time slots throughout the week
We need volunteers with knowledge across a range of IT disciplines including Word, Excel, internet, email, Facebook, YouTube and more to use their skills to help our service users develop theirs.
Reception & Big Issue Sales
Monday – Friday, Various times between 8.30am & 3.30pm
Things can get pretty hectic on the front desk which is why we’d really value more hands on the deck. Reception duties include signing clients in and out, distributing breakfast and sandwich tickets and helping co-ordinate sales of the Big Issue to local vendors.
Cold Weather Shelter
November to March, 8.00pm – 8.30am, When temperatures fall below zero
If you can help out overnight, you will work along side a fully trained member of staff to help create a warm, safe and welcoming service to rough sleepers. You may be asked to serve soup or give out bedding."
Between 10am - 2pm Monday to Friday
Cambridge Women’s Aid provides advice, support and safe accommodation to women and children escaping domestic violence. Some of our families have to flee their homes quickly and arrive in refuge with little or no clothes or belongings. An important part of the support we give new arrivals is to ensure they are kitted out with essentials as soon as they arrive. In order to do that, we benefit greatly from the generosity of local people who donate clothes, toiletries and household goods. We aim to keep a stock of clothes and personal items to suit a range of ages and sizes for women, boys & girls.
Aptivate is an NGO that specialises in IT for International Development. We work with other non-profits, charities, and NGOs as technical consultants, facilitators and trainers, web / software developers, and to provide hosting services, on a wide range of projects.We also carry out projects in our own areas of interest, mainly focused on increasing global access to web resources, by promoting low-bandwidth web design, making tools to help network managers and people browsing the web in less well connected environments, and providing training workshops and resources, both for network managers and for people new to using computers and the internet.
We’re currently 10 people working full and part time, both in and out of Cambridge, assisted by a number of part-time volunteers. We’ve got a heap of requested work on at the moment and we could really use some skilled help to take on some of the workload! We’re currently looking to hire experienced web developers. We also take on a number of volunteers every year.
We mainly work on Linux environments, and we’re developing in Django/Python and PHP at the moment, having moved on from a lot of Java projects previously. We use test-driven-development and agile methodologies adapted for small projects. Although everyone has areas of expertise and responsibilities within the organisation, we all wear many hats; we manage the organisation collectively, and we expect and encourage anyone working with us to take part fully in that.
If you’re interested in finding out more about us you’d be welcome to pop in for lunch and an informal chat anytime; we eat together most days at our office in the Humanitarian Centre.
e-Learning
urgently need additional volunteers to help support our learners.
You don't have to be a computer expert!
2 hours a week, morning or afternoon
e-learning centre (Hawthorn Way)
An educational charity based in Cambridge, providing people with FREE access to computers and the internet, as well as advice on using them. We provide 20 community access points hosted by different organisations around the City, usually in community centres, where members of the public can come and use the computers without charge. They also run an award winning project which enables people with any kind of disability to access computers, and then pass on their skills to other people. With only two members of permanent staff, volunteers are involved in every aspect of running the organisation and we rely heavily on the fantastic support they provide.
who? refugees and/or school children
when? 2-4pm on Wednesday and/or 5-7pm on Thursdays
where? walking distance from city centre
We offer voluntary projects working with local refugees such as befriending schemes, language classes and visiting refugees at Oakington Detention Centre. We also run sessions in local schools to raise awareness about immigration topics.
Assist and support children in the water
One hour per week - Sundays 4-5pm plus other possibilities but times subject to change
1 term minimum commitment
Locations: Chesterton Pool Cambridge, Parkside Pool Cambridge, Windmill Pool Fulbourn
Training given on the job
Promotes and provides a range of swimming sessions for children with disabilities, some including instruction and using volunteers to help. Some sessions for younger children include the whole family.
who? children and adults (able-bodied and disabled)
when? variable
where? within Cambridge city
Staff and students can support the local community by volunteering at local sports clubs and sporting events. Volunteers are needed to assist with a wide variety of sports with both able and disabled adults and children. Volunteers also have the opportunity to gain coaching qualifications.
The RDA group based at Milton, on a Thursday 4.00-6.00 p.m. during term time, is urgently looking for helpers.
The students riding in this RDA group vary in ability and needs, including:
Learning difficulties, special educational needs and motor co-ordination difficulties, Downs Syndrome, moderate eyesight and heart defects, Epilepsy, severe learning difficulties, left hemiparesis, Wearing glasses, hearing aids and orthapaedic appliances for walking, Spastic cerebral palsy, deaf in one ear, Needing help walking to and from the horse.
RDA group at South Cambs Equestrian Centre in Barrington need more helpers too:
Their sessions run on a Tuesday morning from 10.00 a.m. - 12.30 p.m. during term times. The children are primary aged and generally from the autistic spectrum, from Castle School. They work with ponies, and a knowledge of horses is not a pre-requisite for this one.
Sports Projects (Various)
Sports Volunteer
Cambridge City Council Sports Development service offers various sporting and fitness opportunities throughout the city of Cambridge. This includes mainstream sport activities, 50+ activities, Homeless activities, disability sport and looked after children sport.
AaCafy work to facilitate good quality art, music and sporting opportunities
and provision for young people who live in the local area.
Meetings are monthly and we need a secretary and some people
who would be prepared to take action points (researching need,
researching potential funding, work on funding bids and policies etc).
I think there would be many learning benefits associated with
participation in this group.
It would be nice if any volunteers were resident in the south of the
city essentially the Abbey ward but this is by no means a necessity.
Involvement could be a minimum of 3 hours a month to much more depending
on interest and availability. There would also be scope for students to
volunteer in youth projects in a youth work or instructor (arts , music
sport coaching) capacity.
aim? To support children and young people (ages 13 - 25) who have a learning disability and/or a physical diasbility to access activities or hobbies of their choice.
when? 2-4 hours every 3 or 4 weeks.
where? The local community or the young person’s home.
Typically a volunteer befriender might go to the cinema or go shopping and have a coffee with the young person they befriend. This can make a real difference to young peoples’ lives. It gives them an opportunity to develop friendships and the chance to do ordinary things without their main carers. It can improve self-esteem and also help to develop independence skills.
Ideally we’d like to hear from people who are settled in Cambridge and so can develop a meaningful relationship with a young person over a period of time. We will make sure that volunteers are given training and ongoing support to ensure they enjoy their volunteering experience.
Clarendon Street
* Information & Outreach
* Housing & Living Skills
* Young Carers
* The Counselling Team
* South Cambs Mental Health
* The FLIPP Project
* The Sexual Health Service
Helps young people to find information and support.
Services include Counselling, Mental Health service, the Young Carers Project, the Flipp Project, Housing support or our sexual health service's or by supporting access other organisations that may be of help.
As part of our Outreach Service we also offer Workshops, assemblies and group work to Colleges, other organisations and Youth Clubs on many topics relevant to young people.
Housing and living skills is a service dedicated to the support of young people affected by homelessness or imminent homelessness. We can support you to access housing, benefits and work as advocate to ensure that your voice is heard.
K9 Project
Fundraising, workshops etc.
Helping disadvantaged young people to learn new skills through working with dogs.
The Cambridge Domestic Violence Action Group was founded in the fall of 2009. It seeks to raise awareness about domestic violence in order to encourage individuals to seek assistance for themselves or on behalf of individuals they know who are facing domestic violence. The group aims to target domestic violence as experienced by students and strives to co-ordinate with the other groups providing resources on campus.
who? women who have been raped or sexually abused
when? 6:30-9:30pm on Mondays and/or Wednesdays
where? cycling distance from city centre
We are by women for women and aim to offer information, help or simply someone to listen for women who have been raped or sexually abused. Volunteers work in pairs on our telephone helpline, help with fundraising, grant preparation and office administration.
Dawn Project
"Anxiety Management Course
Confidence & Self Esteem
Art Group - Wednesday afternoons
Drop-in for a chat on Tuesday mornings 10.30-12.30, Thursday afternoons 1pm - 3pm
Thursday mornings 10am - 12pm volunteers are at the centre to provide practical support Dawn clients to include filling in forms and writing letters.
" The Wharf, Hooper Street "
Open Mornings, taking place every Thursday morning from 11am -3pm, in Room 8.
All are welcome - there's no need to book, and we will be offering free tea, coffee and biscuits!
The mornings offer a chance for women to get together, talk about what's going on in their lives and what changes they'd like to make.
Potential volunteers are also very welcome to come and meet other people on the project."
"The Dawn Project can help by offering women somewhere they can feel safe and supported in a women-only environment. We aim to provide opportunities to meet other women to share experiences, offering a listening ear and someone to be alongside when women need extra support. We will also offer practical ideas, referral to people who can help, and access to training courses.
What sort of things do we provide help with?
•· Finding suitable accommodation
•· Accessing education, training or work
•· Coping with health issues; including anxiety, stress, low self-esteem or anger
•· Drug or alcohol problems
•· Managing finances, benefits or debt
•· Coping with relationships or being a parent
•· Understanding how to manage feelings
•· Violent relationships or sexual abuse
•· Issues around prostitution"