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.