Community Led Initiatives volunteer peer mentors work directly with our service users, providing practical one-to-one, weekly support, and constructive activities to help them build positive change in their lives, reconnect with their communities, and to achieve their goals.
We aim to help other people lead a more fulfilling life through the power of quality peer mentoring.
We support those experiencing multiple disadvantages such as homelessness, offending, substance misuse and mental health issues.
Community Led Initiatives CIC was set up by people who had been to prison and faced the difficulty in building a new life when released.
Duration: Ongoing
Start date: 15th May 2023
End date: 15th November 2023
When can volunteers volunteer? Weekly
Availability:
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Tasks the volunteer will be required to do: We work with a range of people from a range of backgrounds and experiences. Some may just need a gentle nudge in the right direction, whilst others may need a higher level of support. We match volunteers to their mentee based on experience and needs so volunteers will never feel out of their depth or unable to support their mentee’s needs.
We also welcome people who may have the skills and experience to lead and participate in our Groups programme.
Volunteer mentors need to be able to offer a minimum of 2-4 hours a week to help their mentee set and achieve personal goals and positive change.
There is no typical day as everyone is a unique person with different needs of support.
Duties may include:
• Helping people build lasting relationships with others – family and friends
• Helping people navigate the housing and benefits system.
• Introducing people to new fun social activities and peer networking
• Supporting people to attend health and wellbeing appointments.
• Walking alongside people, guiding and offering solutions and choices.
• Encouraging people to engage with other services
Training: We welcome people from a wide range of experiences and backgrounds, and actively encourage people with lived experience of offending, addiction, homelessness, or mental health issues to apply.
In addition to a positive attitude and non-judgemental approach, our volunteer mentors are outgoing, resilient and able to invest time, commitment and energy to help those we support to create lasting change in their lives.
• Full Training provided - 2 day Mentor Training Course provided, with expenses covered and lunch &
refreshments provided.
• Ongoing training / on the job training
• Courses available in specialist areas - like mental health or homelessness, domestic violence
• Job readiness course
• CV skills
• Interview Skills
• DBS check upon successful completion of the course.
Requirements: Willing to travel by public transport or find own way to volunteering location
Skill and Qualifications Required: We are looking for people:
• With a passion for change
• Who are empathetic and reliable
• Confident and proactive
• Positive and committed
• Can be a positive role model to vulnerable individuals.
• Available for 4-6 hours a week, ideally over 2 days for 6 months +
We welcome people with personal experience of the issues we support people with - offending, substance misuse, mental ill health for example.
Areas of Interest: Addiction, Community, Health and wellbeing, Homeless, Mental Health
Opportunity suitable for: 18 and over
What activities will the volunteer do? Administration, Befriending, Coaching, Providing advice, Support Work
Skills gained in this role: Listening, Managing people, Negotiating, Organising, Talking to others
Home based opportunity? No
DBS Check Required: Yes
About the host organisation
Hosted by: CLI -Community Led Initiatives*
Organisation Profile: One to one mentoring
Our mentors provide people with positive role model who can model effective social skills and help people to adapt to a new way of life; mentors are a sounding board who can provide constructive and honest feedback. They can help people build their confidence through setting and achieving both short term and long term goals and targets. We support people with multiple and complex needs such as • Homelessness •Substance misuse •Criminal justice •Poor mental health • Domestic violence
Group activities
On a weekly basis we organise and supervise a group activity which we believe will improve the offender's life skills and social skills as well as offering people the chance of a break from their day to day environment thus promoting a new way of life spent away from crime, prison, police and the drugs service.
SMART Recovery
SMART stands for self management and recovery training; it is a peer led support group for people who are looking address addictive and problematic behaviour.
SMART works on a four point programme of building and maintaining motivation, coping with urges, problem solving and achieving lifestyle balance. Meetings are held in a relaxed, friendly and confidential setting and group members benefit a great deal from each other s support and advice.
