Holy Cross Centre Trust

Giving Your Time

HCCT has a long tradition of welcoming volunteers. Volunteers work as an integral part of the team in an atmosphere of respect and equality, performing a range of duties within either the Drop-in Centre or the Refugee Project and across the organisation.

We are always looking for people to become members of our organisation, giving their time to add value to the services we deliver.

There are two ways in which people give time:

As time bank members  or as STR workers

Time banking enables the organisation to identify, use and celebrate the skills and strengths of individuals, and, as such, offer a varied range of opportunities to give time to the organisation. Time banking opportunities might be specifically advertised as they arise or be suggested by the time banker themselves, reflecting their skill set and availability.  

There are opportunities to use your skills across the organisation, examples of time banking roles are:

• Activity Leader involving service-user members in activities such as art, film, dance, music, computers etc.
• Kitchen Co-ordinator/Assistant: preparing hot meals in our Day Centre services for up to 70 service-user members
• Administration: office-based tasks including data entry, telephone
• Communications: assisting with producing content for our newsletter and website
• Training and Development: assisting with inductions and training administration
• Fundraising: helping to attract funds and support to the organisation and communicate with our current supporters

People giving their time receive time credits which they can exchange for a selection of rewards such as cinema and concert tickets, exercise sessions or training. We hope you will also find the experience enriching – learning from other volunteers and service users, receiving guidance and supervision from staff, taking up development opportunities and receiving support with employability if you require.

For more specific details view our opportunities page

 other volunteering opportunities

STR (Support Time Recovery Workers) should be interested in supporting those with mental health needs, and are required to attend the training necessary to support their role. STR workers should be able to give a regular and consitent commitment of at least six months. STRs begin life as “Sessional Volunteers”, once your CRB check and references are complete and you can begin training you become an STR Worker and may be asked to work across our service including our outreach and floating support service – Flexicare – which gives STR workers the opportunity to work one-to-one with clients in their own homes in the community.

Volunteers are an integral part of the delivery of our services to vulnerable people and as such need to be responsible, accountable and able to maintain appropriate professional boundaries for the safety of service users

Sessional Volunteers:

• Are selected based on their attitude, competencies and availability/commitment to give a minimum of 4 hours a week at a regular time/session.
• Are expected to abide by the requirements of their role description and exhibit professional behaviours such as punctuality, reliability, communication skills, team-working skills, working within boundaries.
• Attend pre and post session meetings and contribute to planning, evaluating and developing the session
• Complete practical tasks to support the session or activity as directed by the session lead
• Are required to complete a CRB check
• Are required to supply checkable references
• Are required to attend core training or complete the policy quizzes
• Are required, during a short induction period to familiarise themselves with policy and procedure and sign to agree they have done so
• Befriend, inform and empower service users about opportunities to get involved
• Are not necessarily entirely session based, may be involved in befriending, administration or outreach activities
• Have progress monitored by supervisor and Training and Development Manager

The Process     

You can apply for our positions by contacting us direct, or through www.do-it.org.uk  We are committed to returning your call or e-mail promptly, within 48 hours and getting you on board as soon as we can. For STR Workers, Advice Workers and Refugee Befrienders there are formal induction and selection days which take place every 6-8 weeks, on a Saturday 10am-4pm in the Crypt of the Holy Cross Church, 71 Tonbridge Street, WC1H 9DZ. Candidates are invited to induction after submitting their application forms. Planned STR inductions for 2011/12 are:

Saturday 16th April 2011

Saturday 11th June 2011

Saturday 10th July 2011

Saturday 10th September 2011

Saturday 29th October 2011

Saturday 10th December 2011

Saturday 21st January 2012

Saturday 10th March 2012

Please note: the above dates are provisional and subject to change, you should confirm your attendance with the Training and Development Manager when you send in your application documents.Other positions simply involve completing a simple registration form and attending an informal chat with our Time Bank Co-ordinator or Training and Development Manager.

Please get in touch if you want to learn more.