St. Hilda’s East has a long established and rich history of volunteering. Our volunteers are from all backgrounds and cultures reflecting the nature of our multicultural and multifaith local community.
Many of our services are developed in partnership with our beneficiaries, to ensure we meet the current needs of our community.
Volunteers are integral to the regularity of our service delivery. They help us provide a range of weekly activities designed to promote social inclusion, boost mental health and wellbeing, helping members of our local community in their daily lives.
We host a wide range of volunteers, from individuals, corporates, local businesses, and schools to pupils from Cheltenham Ladies’ College- whose alumnae association, Guild, is our founding institution. We also host international volunteers.
We involve our volunteers in services across the organisation with placements on either a short- or long-term basis and give them the opportunity to design and lead sessions.
Why Volunteer
Offering your time and skills to St Hilda’s East is invaluable in helping us connect people with opportunities they may not otherwise have.
Volunteering with us can also help:
- benefit your mental and physical health and happiness
- improve your social skills
- offer you a chance to make new friends,
- connect with the community
- provide you with work experience to help advance your career
- offer Duke of Edinburgh skills opportunities
- have fun
What do we provide our volunteers?
- Free training – available on personal development and Social Enterprise Skills.
- Travel and Lunch expenses – Volunteers get food and travel expenses paid while working here.
- References – If you volunteer for three months, we can provide you with a reference.
- DBS check if you are working with children and young people
If you are interested in volunteering, you can pick up the volunteer application pack from reception at St. Hilda’s East Community Centre or download it online. Please return your completed application form to us either by post, hand-delivered or by email.
Volunteering opportunities for our various programmes.
Older People’s Project
Volunteers assist with activities such as arts and crafts, keep fit, games and quizzes, parties, outings and teaching computer classes.
Food Co-op
This project is volunteer led involves selling affordable fresh fruit and vegetables to the local community, with an emphasis on locally sourced produce. We need volunteers interested in helping to source and sell the produce to make this social enterprise sustainable.
Women’s Project
As a volunteer, you would assist in regular activities with a vibrant group of local women. Sessions include cooking, arts, sewing and various talks throughout the year. You can also help organise events such as fundraisers, International Women’s Day and training sessions.
Young peoples’ Programmes (aged 10-19)
Volunteers are needed to work on social education programmes with our young people. This can be within a girls and boys only or a mixed group setting. You can develop skills in conflict resolution, peer support and youth work. Some of our former young service users are now volunteers themselves and help design and lead on sessions.
Family Learning Under 5’s Stay and Play
As a volunteer, you would work with pre-school children aged 0-4 years assisting in play sessions. You can gain childcare skills and develop an understanding of child development. We currently only accept volunteers who have, or are studying towards, a childcare qualification.
Advice Service
Volunteers who are currently studying with Island Advice Centre are placed at our Advice Service to provide advice on issues such as housing, benefits and debt.
Reception and Administration
Volunteers are needed to help cover our reception area at St Hilda’s East Community Centre and Sonali Gardens. You would provide a welcoming atmosphere for visitors, book appointments and undertake various administrative duties.
Fundraising and Marketing
Activities can include producing marketing surveys and questionnaires, designing social media posts and flyers, data entry, funder research and helping produce our newsletter. Organise fundraising events with your family, friends or work colleagues such as coffee mornings, 5k run, annual quiz or bingo night. See our A-Z Fundraising for more ideas.//sthildas.org.uk/support/looking-forward-to-our-135th-anniversary-year/
Painting , Decorating and Gardening
Team up with a group of friends or work colleagues and help with painting, decorating and gardening.
Corporate Volunteering
St. Hilda’s East works with a wide range of large and small companies who understand the benefit of voluntary action for employers, employees and the community as a whole.
Volunteering for St Hilda’s East can help your company to:
- help a local cause within your local community
- Provide your employees with opportunity to meet new people and experience something different
- engage and motive your employees
- raise awareness with your sector and improve recruitment drive
There are opportunities to help out at community events involving our young people’s and over-50’s projects, including International Women’s Day, UK Disability Month, and Black History Month celebrations. To get involved, please get in touch with at least 2 months’ notice so that we can match you up with the most suitable activity. For more short notice requests, we can typically accommodate no more than 5 or 6 volunteers on any given week.
We would also be thrilled to have you join us on our sponsored events, including the London Legal Walk taking place in June each year, which raises money for Legal Aid across the country.
If your corporate social responsibility team would like to support St. Hilda’s East, please contact us on 020 7739 8066 or by email.
“We had a lovely time meeting all your wonderful members and chatting away, the day flew by for us because of the buzz of the lunch service. Was a pleasure to be involved. You offer such a warm a welcoming environment for everyone there and you can see how much it means to them, to have somewhere like that to go”. BPC Interiors Limited
Cheltenham Ladies’ College students
Cheltenham Ladies’ College (CLC) students have been volunteering at St. Hilda’s East for many years now in various capacities. Typically, CLC students volunteer during school holidays from a few days to several weeks.
CLC students have been involved in a wide range of projects including assisting with days trips’, helping in the crèche, organising activities such as quizzes and arts sessions. The Youth Project and Older People’s Project are among our services that have benefits from the girls’ involvement.
A placement at St. Hilda’s East will be an added interesting dimension to your university application, Duke of Edinburgh Award or generally to provide you with a new experience where you can meet a set of diverse and interesting people from a totally different background to yourself.
If you are at CLC and would like to volunteer at St. Hilda’s East, please contact us by email or telephone 020 7739 8066.
We also host international volunteers
Clayton Volunteering – USA
St. Hilda’s East has worked in partnership with Winant Clayton Volunteering for over 20 years. A volunteer has been placed every summer with us for 10 weeks and this has proved to be a fruitful and enriching experience for both the volunteer and St. Hilda’s projects. Volunteers are supported with accommodation through WCV and volunteer at St. Hilda’s on a full-time basis during their placement supporting the Older People’s Project.
CAPA International Education – USA
St. Hilda’s East has worked in partnership with CAPA International Education for over 5 years. We provide experiential learning for students combining their academic and practical experiences together via community placements. Internship students are placed from 2 – 8 weeks and provide a unique and special addition to the St. Hilda’s East community.