Transition into Volunteering Liverpool

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In Liverpool, a gap exists in the support available to those making the transition from hospital or community mental health services into volunteering.

Our Transition into Volunteering Liverpool (TIVL) project has been designed to support people living with and managing mental ill health into volunteering.

The project aims to do this in two ways:

1. By providing organisations that involve volunteers in their work with good quality training and guidance on how to support volunteers experiencing mental ill health, done through two training sessions covering inclusion/diversity in volunteering, social prescribing, managing volunteers with mental health needs
2. By supporting people experiencing mental ill health into volunteering through a ‘stepping stone’ programme – attendance at two specialist training sessions and follow up support from the Volunteer Centre to access appropriate volunteering opportunities and become more active in their communities

People experiencing mental ill health often find themselves facing multiple barriers to accessing mainstream activities and being able to move forward with their lives.

Participation in the TIVL project, with input from supporting organisations, can go some of the way in helping people to overcome these barriers by:

• Offering a safe and comfortable learning environment ?
• Providing Preparing to Volunteer training – exploring anxieties and expectations about volunteering with a focus on the benefits of volunteering for both the individual and community (Session 1) ?
• Supporting learners to identify their transferable skills and how their life experiences can be used to support others (Session 1) ?
• Participating in communication skills and confidence building activities (Session 2) ?
• Person-centred approach – using our expertise to support and place learners into suitable volunteering roles once they have completed the two training sessions

When volunteers receive appropriate training and ongoing support in their newly chosen roles they flourish. There are many benefits to be gained from volunteering – increased self-confidence and self-esteem, improved physical health and mental well-being, a sense of purpose and self-satisfaction, reduced social isolation – and these are just a few!

The contribution to the community by volunteers is of equal importance – their input helps to strengthen communities by promoting diversity and supporting local charities and community groups to provide much needed services.

The TIVL project is being funded by Awards for All and will run over a 12-month period. Training and brokerage will take place over four separate rounds of delivery and the project can accommodate eight organisations during each round.

During each round, the eight participating organisations will receive FREE training in the following areas – Inclusion/equality and diversity in volunteering, social prescribing model and building resilience in communities through volunteering, managing and supporting volunteers with mental health needs.

Upon completion of the training programme and the successful placement of a volunteer/s, we will award a kite mark to participating organisations in recognition of their commitment to equality and diversity in volunteer recruitment practice. Participating organisations and volunteers will be invited to attend a celebration event at the end of the project.

The first round of delivery will take place on:

• Session 1: Tuesday 4 October 2016, 10am-4pm at the Quaker Meeting House, 22 School Lane, L1 3BT ?
• Session 2: Friday 7 October 2016, 10am-1pm at the above address

Participating organisations must be able to attend both sessions.

To book a place on the TIVL training sessions please contact Steph Gregory on 0151 237 3982 or email steph@volunteercentreliverpool.org.uk.

Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. If the first round is oversubscribed, organisations will be offered a place on the second round of delivery which will take place in early 2017.