Author: Charity Comms

Volunteer Opportunity – Community Supermarket Volunteer Driver

Do you have some spare time and enjoy driving and helping the local community, this role would be perfect for you!

Uttlesford Community Action Network (UCAN) in partnership with, The Active Wellbeing Society are setting up a mobile community supermarket, to combine the fight against food waste, food poverty and social isolation. We are looking for volunteers to make this possible.
Volunteer drivers are needed on an ad hoc basis to support our mobile community supermarket. You will be responsible for picking up food from retailers, wholesalers and producers and transporting them to our food storage depot at Hatfield Heath. You may also be asked to support in transporting food produce from the storage depot to the mobile community supermarket location during busy times, to keep up with stock levels.

You’ll be volunteering with a friendly staff team who take responsibility for overall delivery and keeping everyone safe.

A van will be provided by UCAN for this role. Full clean driving license needed.

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525

E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Volunteer Opportunity – Wellbeing Telephone Call Volunteer

Ticket Home is the UCAN home from hospital scheme helping patients to safely be discharged from hospital and return home.
Volunteers are needed to make post discharge wellbeing telephone calls.

Volunteers are needed to make post discharge wellbeing telephone calls to check in with the patient and ensure they have everything they need and feel connect and cared for.

This is an occasional role, for volunteers with computer confidence and access to a telephone. The purpose of the call is to make sure the patient has everything they need to safely be at home. Questions will provided and responses are logged directly into our patient management system – Ticket Home. You will be supported by our Ticket Home Coordinator and will be given training

Skills needed:

  • Good communication skills
  • Kind, patient and compassionate
  • Good people skills
  • Calm and adaptable
  • Basic IT skills
  • Ability to use own initiative

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525

E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Volunteer Opportunity – Family Support Volunteer

Support families by offering emotional support and guidance.

Your offer of time and support, as a volunteer, can mean the world to a family. Becoming a parent, whether it’s the first or the fourth time, can be an isolating experience.

Home-Visiting Volunteers offer families support and encouragement in their home by visiting them once a week for a period of six months. They develop a relationship with the family and encourage positive parenting and school readiness. They encourage the family to explore, reflect and come up with their own solutions. They can offer practical support within the home such as reading to a child.

Skills needed:

No formal qualifications required as full training will be given.

Parenting experience or experience of working with families and children.

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525

E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Volunteer Opportunity – Support your local Libraries

Saffron Walden and Dunmow Libraries are looking for volunteers to support their activities.


Saffron Walden Library:

Warm Welcome Mornings Friday 10.30 – 12.30. Volunteers are needed to help with setting up, meet and greet, serving refreshments and socialising with the attendees.

Computer Support Volunteer. Helping library customers who need support to use either the computers in the library or their own devices. This might be through regular sessions, or specific IT surgery events.

Dunmow Library:

Baby and Toddler Rhyme Time Weds 9.30-10, Fri 10-10.30. Volunteers are needed to deliver the rhyme sessions, and support the development of children by sharing your enjoyment of books and rhymes.

Skills needed:

  • Warmth and friendliness.
  • Ability to interact with people of all ages.
  • Practical and ‘hands on’.
  • A good team worker, able to work with library staff and other volunteers.
  • Can set up and clean down area, including tea and coffee making.

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525

E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Volunteer Opportunity: Chairman and Secretary

A local charity based in Thaxted who offers craft activities to adults living with physical disability is looking for a Chairman and Secretary to support the work of the charity.

A local charity based in Thaxted who offers craft activities to adults living with physical disability is looking for a Chairman and Secretary to support the work of the charity.

The Chairmans role would involve chairing the Trustee meetings (presently four times per year), promoting the charity, liaising with the Treasurer and Secretary to ensure the charity meets its regulatory obligations, supporting the funding co-ordinator as well as fund raising initiatives. The Centre is run by a volunteer manager on a day to day basis but the Chairman will need to take an interest in the work being done and help with decision making if needed.

The secretary’s role would include:

  • Organisation of quarterly committee meetings including preparation and issue of the agenda.
  • Preparation and issue of meeting minutes.
  • Organisation of an AGM including circulation of invites and agenda.
  • Set up of meeting and provision of documents for attendees.
  • Maintaining the file of minutes electronically and hard copy.

For further information

Contact us on:

Telephone: 01371 404525

Email: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Volunteer Opportunity: Event Helper for Talliston House and Gardens

We are looking for volunteers to help out at Talliston House and Gardens on their private group days and events in Great Dunmow.

We are looking for volunteers to help out at Talliston House and Gardens on their private group days and events in Great Dunmow.

Tasks would include:

  • Welcoming and directing guests.
  • Setting up food and equipment for events.
  • Decorating and setting up the house and gardens.
  • Helping to tidy up after events.

Skills needed:

  • Problem solving skills.
  • Good attention to detail.
  • Customer service skills.
  • Basic computer skills.

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525 E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Volunteer Opportunity: Tour Guide for Talliston House and Gardens

We are looking for volunteers to help out at Talliston House and Gardens as tour guides for small groups. Talliston is a house and gardens in Great Dunmow

We are looking for volunteers to help out at Talliston House and Gardens as tour guides for small groups.

Volunteers would be needed for a few hours on the last weekend of every month, and occasionally to guide private groups on the weekdays.

Skills needed:

  • Communication skills
  • Customer service skills
  • Basic computer skills
  • Interest and knowledge of history
  • Sensitivity and understanding

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525 E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk

Become UCAN’s next Honorary Treasurer

UCAN has a vacancy among its trustee board for an Honorary Treasurer

UCAN has a vacancy among its trustee board for an Honorary Treasurer

Uttlesford Community Action Network is the charity at the heart of our community.    Working with VCFSE colleagues, statutory services and volunteers, we deliver a range of services to improve the quality of life for the residents of Uttlesford.   Our primary mission is to reduce loneliness and isolation amongst our population and enable people to live independent but supported and connected lives.

The UCAN board of trustees are volunteers who hold the operational management team to account, set strategy and develop policy and support the charity with compliance and governance matters.   We are now seeking to appoint a new Honorary Treasurer, as the previous post-holder has retired.

The role of the Honorary Treasurer (who is both a trustee and director of the charity) in addition to their regular responsibilities as a trustee of UCAN, is to have oversight of the financial administration of the charity.

Day to day responsibility for the financial management and administration of the charity is devolved to the Chief Finance Officer (CFO), supported by the Financial Administrator. The financial management and administration of the charity is governed by the Financial Regulations policy.

The Treasurer, in addition to attending regular trustee meetings, will also Chair Finance Sub Group meetings where they will work with the Chief Finance Officer to set and review budgets and budget performance, review the fundraising activities and funding pipeline and support the CFO with matters relating to the good financial governance of the charity. The sub group will make recommendations to the board on routine financial matters and issues arising.

  •  The Treasurer will provide support and advice to the Chief Executive Officer and CFO and through them the Financial Administrator.
  • The CFO will consult the Treasurer before committing to any non-budgeted expenditure or entering into any financial liabilities/agreements.
  • The Treasurer may be required to meet the external accountants and respond to questions from them.
  • The Treasurer will approve the annual accounts and present the examined/audited accounts to the board and at the Annual General Meeting.

 

PERSON SPECIFICATION FOR THE HONORARY TREASURER

Requirement Essential or Desirable
Financial qualification such as chartered accountant D
Financial management at a senior level E
Charity finance, fundraising and pension schemes D
Ability to analyse proposals and consider their consequences E
Willingness to be available to the SMT and trustees for advice and guidance on an ad-hoc basis E
Be eligible to serve as a trustee E

 

Your commitment as a trustee is to attend as many schedule board meetings as possible within the year.  These alternate between in-person main meetings and virtual (Zoom) online update meetings approximately every six weeks, plus participation in the finance sub group which meets two weeks before each trustee meeting.  Board meetings usually take place on a Friday morning in

If you match the eligibility criteria and are interested in taking an active role within UCAN and our community, please email your CV outlining relevant experience, and a covering letter to connect@ucan.org.uk   the Dunmow area, with virtual meetings taking place on Wednesday evenings.   This is a voluntar role, but expenses for attending meetings can be claimed.

Thank you for your interest.

UCAN Mobile Hub brings our services to you!

The UCAN Charity Mobile Community Hub was out and about in Uttlesford again yesterday, this time setting up in Hatfield Broad Oak.

The UCAN Charity Mobile Community Hub was out and about in Uttlesford again yesterday, this time setting up in Hatfield Broad Oak.
Our mobile hub brings access to information, services and support for people in our more isolated rural communities, and those who are separated by lack of infrastructure, access to online services and shortage of local amenities. We can provide help and support on a range of public health and wellbeing issues and signpost and refer to hundreds of voluntary groups active across our district.
If you would like the mobile hub to visit your community, please contact carol.butterworth@ucan.org.uk

Volunteer Opportunity – Saffron Walden Museum Social Media Volunteer

Saffron Walden Museum is one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the country. 

Saffron Walden Museum is one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the country. We are looking for volunteers to help staff at Saffron Walden Museum with the museum’s social media sites.

The role would include varying activities such as researching and monitoring popular social media trends and hashtags, researching and compiling content for social media and blog updates and resizing and editing digital images for social media and website use.

Skills needed:

  • Good ICT skills
  • Knowledge and experience of using social media.
  • A demonstrable interest in social history, archaeology or natural history
  • Strong written communication skills
  • Attention to detail and accuracy
  • Experience of working both within a small team and independently
  • Confidence to contribute and share ideas and new perspectives
  • Ability to work to set guidelines
  • Awareness and understanding of internet security issues
  • Experience in creating content for digital platforms is desirable but not essential

The Museum Society, our charitable wing, also needs volunteers who would be willing to be the administrator/editor for their Facebook page and who would be able to help by taking notes during their monthly local history talks at the Parish rooms for review in their quarterly newsletter.

For further information:

Contact us on T: 01371 404525

E: volunteer@ucan.org.uk