Volunteering is a serious commitment. Just because it is work that you do for free it doesn’t mean you should put any less effort or provide less dedication.
Remember that you will be agreeing to certain responsibilities and tasks assigned to you at the time and that they are needed. People will depend on you to do your job well.
You will have responsibilities but also rights. So, before you commit, let’s be clear about those.
Your rights
As a volunteer, you have the right to:
When you start, we will tell you about the organisation, it’s mission and your role in fulfilling its goal.
Get guidance and direction.
To be effective in your role, you should be clear about what you need to do and how you should accomplish them. You should be given clear instructions, support and supervision by the volunteering coordinator.
Get training.
You will be offered training as and when available in order to help you improve your skills to fully execute your responsibilities.
Be treated as an important part of the organisation and be recognised for your contribution.
We are working on having systems in place so that we can show how much we appreciate all volunteers working with us. This includes being nominated for an award (Southampton Voluntary Services).
Be provided with a safe and supportive environment.
We will ensure that you have a safe work environment so that you can fulfil your duties without any barriers.
Your responsibilities
As a volunteer, you have the responsibility to:
Come as scheduled and on time.
You should be present on the date and time agreed upon. If for any reason you cannot make it, be sure to inform your supervisor or another member of the team as soon as possible.
Carry out tasks efficiently and honestly.
Commit time for the work
The hours you can commit to will be discussed in detail with your coordinator. If you commit to volunteering for i.e 5 hours a week, then it is a commitment that you must fulfil.
Accept guidance and decisions of the volunteer coordinator
As a volunteer, you will be working under the supervision of a coordinator. You may suggest ways by which things can be done, but the final decision lies with your coordinator.
Participate in orientations, training sessions and meetings.
To learn more about your role and to acquire the proper knowledge and skills. You are required to attend training sessions and meetings when invited to do so.
Keep internal information confidential.
Being an integral part of the organisation, you should not betray the trust given to you by them. Sensitive information about the organisation and its clients must not be shared to the public. It can harm their operations and also get you into legal problems.
Behave in a professional manner whenever representing People’s Pride Southampton.
Now that we got the boring bit out of the way, if you are still keen to work with us then go ahead and fill in the application.
