Volunteer with us!
Information Pack

Volunteer with us!

Volunteering at Headway East London
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with us!

Volunteers are a big part of our community. They work alongside our team, spend time

with our members* and help with activities and events in our centre in Hackney.

About a third of our volunteers have a brain injury and bring valuable understanding and

experiences to the role. Others are interested in learning more about brain injury or the

complexities of living with a disability.

If you want to meet new people in a relaxed environment, and get involved in art, cooking,

music, gardening or socialising, you’ve come to the right place!

You don’t need any special skills or knowledge, we’ll give you the induction you need and

we offer regular volunteer meetings, training sessions and supervision.

*members: this is how we call our service users

About Us
Headway East London (www.headwayeastlondon.org) is a charity supporting people living

with brain injury. Working across 13 London boroughs we offer specialist support and

services for survivors and their families. We offer therapies, advocacy, family support and

community support work alongside our day service: a community venue where people can

make the most of their abilities and interests.

We also promote awareness and understanding of brain injury by providing information to

the public, and offering training to university students, professionals and businesses.

Our vision is to build a community where people with brain injury are valued, respected

and able to fulfil their potential.

Registered Charity No: 1083910.

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Volunteering roles
Whether it’s visiting our centre in Hackney once a week or getting involved in our exciting

events, there are plenty of ways to join our community.

Keep reading to explore each role and find the one that best fits your schedule.

We are currently looking for volunteers in the following roles:

Day Service Volunteer: join us once a week, 10am-3pm. Support the daily programme

of creative projects at Headway East London, including art, cooking and gardening.

Evening Service Volunteer: join us every Wednesday, 3.30pm-8.30pm. Join a small

group of members for conversations, creative activities and dinner.

Saturday Socials Volunteer: join us every first Saturday of the month, 1-5pm. We

share stories and experiences and have lunch together.

Events Volunteer: join our exciting events, usually in the evenings after 5pm. From

supper clubs to open studios, be part of our exciting programme of events.

Registered Charity No: 1083910.

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Day Service Volunteer

Role:

Location:

Day Service Volunteer

Headway East London, Timber Wharf,

238-240 Kingsland Road, London E2 8AX

Days/Times:

One day per week (Monday to Friday 10am - 3pm)

Responsible to:

Volunteer Coordinator

About the Role
We are looking for a Day Service Volunteer to assist in the running of the daily

programme of activities at Headway East London. Volunteering with us, you’ll get involved

in the fun and creative activities going on at our Day Service. Every day is different: you

could help in our art studio, assist in the kitchen or take part in a music session. You’ll be

supporting our members one-to-one and in groups.

Commitment
The minimum commitment is 4 months, one day a week Monday to Friday, 10am-3pm.

What will you do?

Help deliver our programme of activities, offering support 1-to-1 or in small groups

Assist members with using computers, cooking, engaging in art activities etc.

Initiate discussion, games or activities and encourage members to take part.

Help floor staff at lunchtime with setting up tables, dishing out and serving food.

Assist with keeping the centre safe, clean and tidy all times i.e. collecting and washing

cups, tidying up resources' shelves, wiping tables before lunch.

Inform floor staff about activities undertaken with members and any significant

changes in mood or behaviour.

Take members to social events and outings and assist individuals needing to use a

wheelchair.

Undergo training as required and attend volunteer debriefs and supervision.

Support with any other task that may be reasonably required.

Registered Charity No: 1083910.

Volunteer with us!

Evening Service Volunteer

Role:

Location:

Evening Service Volunteer

Headway East London, Timber Wharf,

238-240 Kingsland Road, London E2 8AX

Days/Times:

Every Wednesday from 3.30pm to 8.30pm

Responsible to:

Volunteer Coordinator

About the Role
We are looking for a Volunteer to assist in the running of our Wednesday Evening Service

programme of activities.

You’ll get involved in the fun and creative activities going on at our Evening Service.

Every week is different: you could help making art, assist in the kitchen or take part in a

music session. You’ll be supporting our members one-to-one and in groups.

Commitment
The minimum commitment is 4 months, every Wednesday from 3.30pm to 8.30pm

What will you do?

Help deliver our programme of activities, offering support 1-to-1 or in small groups.

Assist member with using computers, cooking, engaging in art activities etc.

Initiate discussion, games or activities and encourage members to take part.

Help floor staff at lunchtime with setting up tables, dishing out and serving food.

Assist with keeping the centre safe, clean and tidy all times i.e. collecting and washing

cups, tidying up resources' shelves, wiping tables before lunch.

Inform staff about activities undertaken with members and any significant changes in

mood or behaviour.

Take members to social events and outings and being able to assist individuals

needing to use a wheelchair.

Undergo training as required and attend volunteer debriefs and supervision.

Support with any other task that may be reasonably required.

Registered Charity No: 1083910.

Volunteer with us!

Saturday Socials Volunteer

Role:

Location:

Saturday Socials Volunteer

Headway East London, Timber Wharf,

238-240 Kingsland Road, London E2 8AX

Days/Times:

Every first Saturday of the month, from 11 pm to 4pm

Responsible to:

Volunteer Coordinator

About the Role
We are looking for a Volunteer to assist in the running of our Saturday Socials group, an

opportunity for people living with brain injury to socialise and share experiences at our

centre in Hackney.

You’ll get involved in the activities going on at our Saturday socials. You’ll be supporting

our members one-to-one and in groups.

Commitment
The minimum commitment is 4 months, every first Saturday of the month, from 11pm to

4pm

What will you do?

Help deliver our programme of activities, offering support 1-to-1 or in small groups.

Assist member with using computers, cooking, engaging in art activities etc.

Initiate discussion, games or activities and encourage members to take part.

Help floor staff at lunchtime with setting up tables, dishing out and serving food.

Assist with keeping the centre safe, clean and tidy all times i.e. collecting and washing

cups, tidying up resources' shelves, wiping tables before lunch.

Inform staff about activities undertaken with members and any significant changes in

mood or behaviour.

Take members to social events and outings and being able to assist individuals

needing to use a wheelchair.

Undergo training as required and attend volunteer debriefs and supervision.

Support with any other task that may be reasonably required.

Registered Charity No: 1083910.

Volunteer with us!

Events Volunteer

Role:

Location:

Events Volunteer

Headway East London, Timber Wharf, 238-240 Kingsland Road,

London E2 8AX and external venues when required

Days/Times:

As and when events occur

Responsible to:

Volunteer Coordinator

About the Role
We are looking for Events Volunteers to support our ever-expanding and exciting events

calendar. You will be volunteering alongside our project leads, other volunteers and

people living with acquired brain injury. You don’t need any special skills or knowledge,

we’ll give you the induction you need, and support is always on hand! The role is varied

and volunteering hours usually start after 4.30pm/5pm for about 5 hours with breaks.

Occasionally our events will happen during the weekend. You will be mostly based at our

centre in Hackney but travel may be needed for occasional events offsite.

Commitment
There is no formal commitment for this role as events occur every few weeks.

Consistency is important to us and we hope you can join as many events as possible.

What will you do?

Support in running Front of House at our supper clubs Headway EATS, community

inspired events based in our centre showcasing our kitchen project and attended by

about 50 guests. This includes decorating rooms and tables, welcoming guests, serving

food, clearing tables and serving drinks.

Support with running our Open Studios, happening in our Submit to Love art studio,

usually in summer and winter, to showcase and sell our artists’ art and our merch. This

includes setting up, welcoming visitors, supporting with sales and packaging.

Support the general running of other Public Engagement events such as exhibitions,

films screenings, talks etc. These could happen at external venues in London.

Work alongside staff, member and volunteers to make sure everyone has a fantastic

experience at our events.

Registered Charity No: 1083910.

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Who are we looking for?
Here is what we’re looking for in a Headway Volunteer:

You’re 18 or older.

You have experience working with people and enjoy building connections.

You communicate clearly and sensitively, with an ability to listen and support others.

You can relate well to individuals one-on-one, showing empathy and understanding

for their unique situations.

You’re able to work independently and as part of a team.

You bring patience, a sense of humour, and flexibility to everything you do.

You have common sense and take initiative, offering your help wherever it’s needed.

You’re reliable, enthusiastic, and committed to making a positive impact.

You’re open to participating in a range of activities that support our members.

You’re comfortable leading a small group activity (not required for Events Volunteers).

You believe in and are committed to the values and vision of Headway East London.

You’re committed to equal opportunities and understand the importance of

confidentiality.

Registered Charity No: 1083910.

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Benefits of Volunteering with Us
At Headway East London we value our volunteers and their contributions to the

organisation. We have a vivacious team of volunteers, some of which have been with us

for over 20 years! We continue to celebrate them and are constantly working towards

providing new opportunities.

You will be able to join a lively community of people with a wide range of interests and

skills. We are happy to provide references.

Additional benefits of volunteering with us are:

Training/Support

Each volunteer is given an induction which includes information on health & safety,

fire precautions, confidentiality, equal opportunities and a brief outline of the long-

term effects of head injury.

As part of this role, you will receive ongoing support and have the opportunity to gain

experience in Health and Social Care.

To fully support our volunteers in their role we provide:

Regular volunteer meetings (for Day Service and Evening Service volunteers).

A regular debrief session (for Day Service and Evening Service volunteers).

One to one supervision starting after the first 4 months and yearly appraisal meetings

(for Day Service and Evening Service volunteers).

Ongoing support is available from staff at the events and from the Volunteer

Coordinator.

Expenses

Travel expenses to and from the Headway are paid, travel expenses to and from

events venues will be considered depending upon the location (car mileage or public

transport costs within London only).

Free lunch is provided at the centre. We cater for vegetarians and vegans.

Alternatively, we reimburse up to £3.50 lunch expenses.

For any expenses claimed a receipt must be provided.

Registered Charity No: 1083910.

Volunteer with us!

How to apply
To apply for a volunteering role, please follow these steps:

Fill out a short application form (available on our website) and provide two referees.

Please send the application form and voluntary Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

(available on our website) to recruitment@headwayeastlondon.org.

On receipt of satisfactory references, we will invite you for an informal interview and a

visit of our centre.

A start date will be agreed.

You will be asked to sign a Volunteer Agreement, Confidentiality, and Consent form.

Potential volunteers with a brain injury will go through stage 1 & 2 and then will be

asked to complete an additional form to ensure we give appropriate support. A visit to

the centre from 10am-12pm can be arranged before filling out the application form.

If you don't meet all the requirements but are really interested in the role, we encourage

you to reach out!

If you would like to visit our centre in Hackney before submitting an application, we can

arrange a visit, Mon-Fri, 10-12pm. Please contact the Volunteer Lead (see below).

If you have any questions about the application form or if you have any access

requirements, please email our HR team at recruitment@headwayeastlondon.org.

For more information about volunteering at Headway East London and if you are under 18

and looking for a work experience, please contact the Volunteer Lead Katya Goloubeva via

email at katya.goloubeva@headwayeastlondon.org or call 020 7749 7790.

Registered Charity No: 1083910.