THE MULBERRY CENTRE

Volunteer Welcomer

Our mission is to provide information and support for anyone affected by cancer, offering practical ways of
enhancing physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing.

The Mulberry Centre is an award-winning charity which relies heavily on donations from individuals and
organisations to support people through their cancer journey from diagnosis, through treatment and then
post-discharge. We help them to start rebuilding their lives and promote self-management. We also support
carers and family members to deal with these changes and bereaved relatives. We do this by providing
counselling, complementary therapies, wellbeing classes, and supporting information, tailored to the needs
of our users at, and around, our purpose-built centre in Isleworth. Our services are free of charge, but
donations are always welcome.

Welcomers  are  crucially  important  in  being  the  first  people  visitors  meet  on  coming  to  The  Mulberry
Centre.   You  will  be  responsible  for  welcoming  visitors  to  the  Centre,  the  checking  in  process,  offering
refreshments, helping them to find information about our services and ensuring their visit to the Centre is
always  a  warm  and  positive  experience.  Welcomers  also  assist  with  housekeeping  duties,  basic  admin
tasks,  helping  clients  with  their  evaluation  surveys  and  making  donations,  and  other  day  to  day  tasks
which support the smooth running of the organization. This is an ideal role for warm, friendly people with
excellent communication and listening skills who enjoy being in a dynamic and varied environment.

Time commitment:  One morning, afternoon or evening shift per week for 3 hours. Morning shift is 10am –
1pm, afternoon shift is 1pm – 4pm. We are not currently open regularly of a weekday evening, however,
when we do so we open one weekday evening until 7pm.

Main Duties

▪  Welcoming visitors to the Centre.
▪  Offering refreshments to those using the facility.
▪  Assisting with the housekeeping duties and the tidiness of the welcome area and other areas of the

building.

▪  Assisting new service users with completing a registration form.
▪  Assisting service users to complete online evaluation forms or make donations.
▪  To become familiar with the contents of the website and the library in order to assist visitors in

finding information.

▪  Keeping visitors company, but only if requested to do so by the visitor.
▪
▪  Maintaining an awareness of personal space, respecting the privacy of each visitor and ensuring

Informing the appropriate staff member of arrival of each new visitor to the Centre.

confidentiality at all times.

▪  Any other duties deemed appropriate for the team.
▪  Adhering to all policies and procedures.

Volunteer Specification

▪  Excellent communication skills – especially listening skills and ability to be empathetic.
▪  Ability to listen without giving any personal views/opinions nor discuss or ‘self-disclose’ any personal

information about themselves or others.

▪  Flexible in responding to visitors’ and staff needs and be able to work as part of a team.
▪  Ability to learn and carry out a variety of tasks, however small, as requested.
▪  Ability to take accurate messages.

▪  Good time keeping.
▪  Ability to volunteer as part of  a team.
▪  Open-minded and non-judgmental about the choices made by visitors to the Centre.
▪  Sensitive and able to cope with a wide range of emotions expressed by visitors.
▪  Must not have been bereaved or had personal experience of cancer either themselves or a close

family member within the preceding two years.

Support and Training

•  You will be provided with an induction covering the objective of the role, the work of The Mulberry

Centre, and its procedures and policies relevant for your volunteering role.

•  We will do our best to assist your volunteering role with us.  This will include evaluation sessions and
keeping you updated with all the relevant information on what support The Mulberry Centre offers.

•  There will be an initial 3 months, then annual review with your Lead. Attendance at regular team

meetings is encouraged.

•  Expenses  are  reimbursed  for  travel

incurred  to  carry  out  your  volunteering  duties.  The

reimbursement of any other ‘out of pocket’ expenses is subject to prior approval by your Lead.

Next Steps

•  All applicants will be asked to complete a Volunteer Application Form and confidentiality

agreement and provide two referees.

•  Candidates with the appropriate experience/skills for the role for which they have applied will be

interviewed by the Lead associated to the role.
•  References will be taken up on successful candidates.
•  All new volunteers will be given role specific induction/training by their Lead, who will provide
general induction to the Centre, the general handbook and relevant information pertaining to
policies and procedures, and will be asked to sign the Volunteer Agreement, confirming their
commitment to the Centre.

•  Subject to satisfactory references, and completion of professional documentation an individual
may start volunteering and a review will be carried out by their Lead after three months.

Further information: - Email: volunteer@themulberrycentre.co.uk

Responsible to:

Mulberry Macmillan Volunteer Lead

Volunteer Class Teacher

Our mission is to provide information and support for anyone affected by cancer, offering practical ways
of enhancing physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing.

The Mulberry Centre (TMC) offers Wellbeing Classes for people with a diagnosis of cancer and their
carers.  All classes are recognised as having positive benefits and are given with the aim of relieving
stress related symptoms through relaxation, improved breathing and increased activity.

Time commitment: Regular weekly slot of 1 hr class with admin time – total 90 mins minimum

Main Duties

•  To facilitate 1 weekly class for clients with a cancer diagnosis, carers and bereaved.
•  Each class teacher needs to be able to adapt the class to the needs of the individual, depending on

the client’s condition, as far as is reasonable.

•  We are offering Wellbeing Classes such as Pilates, Yoga, Seated Yoga & Tai Chi – we are looking for

teachers qualified in any of these on addition to dance classes, weights or general exercise.

Volunteer Specification

We are committed to providing the highest quality of care and practitioners are expected to:

▪  Have studied and qualified at a recognised college/school.
▪  Be a member of their professional body if applicable.
▪  Have personal, professional indemnity insurance.
▪  Consider, or be undertaking, further professional development.
▪
▪  Must not have had personal experience of cancer (either themselves or a close family member)

Ideally have been qualified in their practice and actively practising for one year.

or have been bereaved within the preceding two years.

•  Experience of working with small groups/classes.

Support and Training

•  Class teachers must provide an observed class and attend an induction with the Complementary

Therapies Lead prior to starting volunteering.

•  Class teachers are encouraged to attend meetings and support groups with other members of

the therapy team, which are held every three months.

•  Class teachers will have an initial three-monthly then six-monthly review with the

Complementary Therapies Lead.  This is a way of monitoring and supporting each other and is
informal and confidential.

•  Networking amongst the wellbeing team is encouraged, for support
•  Expenses are reimbursed for travel incurred to carry out your volunteering duties. The

reimbursement of any other ‘out of pocket’ expenses is subject to prior approval by your Lead.

Next Steps

•  All applicants will be asked to complete a Volunteer Application Form and

confidentiality agreement and provide two referees.

•  Candidates with the appropriate experience/skills for the role for which they have

applied will be interviewed by the Lead associated to the role.

•  References will be taken up on successful candidates. Successful counsellor and therapist

candidates will be asked to provide relevant professional documentation including
qualifications/certificate to practise, enhanced DBS, membership of professional body and
insurance.

•  All new volunteers will be given role specific induction/training by their Lead and the
Mulberry Macmillan Volunteer Lead will provide general induction to the Centre, the
general handbook and relevant information pertaining to policies and procedures,
and will be asked to sign the Volunteer Agreement, confirming their commitment to
the Centre.

•  Subject to satisfactory references, and completion of documentation an individual
may start volunteering and a review will be carried out by their Lead after three
months.

Further information:  Email: volunteer@themulberrycentre.co.uk or
amanda@themulberycentre.co.uk
Responsible to:         Complementary Therapies Lead