Our Volunteers

Our volunteer workforce is critical to ensure the ever-changing needs of our increasingly diverse service users are met. As a service user-led organisation over 85% of our volunteers are themselves living with HIV.

Volunteers have the opportunity to get involved in everything that BPNW does, including:

• Fundraising
• Peer support
• Training
• Publicity
• Driving
• Clerical & Administration
• Catering
• Gardening
• Events
• Helpline
• Rapid HIV Testing
• Complementary Therapies

Why volunteer?

Volunteering with us is an opportunity for you to become part of a diverse and forward-thinking community.

Meet new people and make friends

Gain valuable work experience for your CV

Achieve a sense of self-reward by giving something back to the community

Volunteering on Benefits

We have had many people asking about volunteering whilst on benefits and I hope to this will be a guide for you.

Volunteering is when you choose to give your time and energy to benefit other people without being paid, except for out of pocket expenses. There are also benefits for the person volunteering;

·        Learn New Skills

·        Practice Skills you already have

·        Become more confident

·        To add to your CV

·        Pick up good ideas

·        Show you have commitment

·        Meet new people

·        Get references

You can be a Volunteer if you are on benefits and there are no restrictions on the number of hours you can do. We would, along with job centre plus, advise you to declare the fact that you are volunteering.

If you require further information go to www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

Then look for Customer Home section, click on Leaflets and Guidelines, scroll down to Specific Customer information Leaflets and you will then find a pdf copy of Volunteering while receiving benefits. Or alternatively we hold a copy in our Volunteering Office for you to read, please ask.

Investing in Volunteers

In February we achieved the Investing In Volunteers kitemark which is a nationally recognised standard of excellence which will ensure we recruit, support and retain our volunteers in line with current best practice.

To find out more, contact us.

If you would like to apply for a volunteer role, please contact Emma on  0161 882 2200   or come to our centre for details.