Volunteering
Why Volunteer: Volunteering can help you feel active, useful and productive. Volunteer experience can be a good way to learn more about yourself and your potential to grow and develop Volunteering has many benefits to individuals, including increasing skills, improving employability prospects, improving health and well-being, keeping active, reducing isolation and loneliness and having fun.
Increasing skills: There are a huge range of skills you can acquire through volunteering, practical skills like DIY, textiles, painting, IT skills, gardening and horticulture, and life skills such as cooking and budgeting. We have volunteer opportunities to work with children and young people in our Gaelic medium nursery. There is a huge range of opportunities to learn new skills and develop existing skills.
Employability: Volunteering can help you develop the softer skills that employers are looking for including the ability to work in a team, problem solving and adaptability, communicating, time management.
Meet New People: Volunteering is a good way to meet people. This can be vital for younger people who are not in education or employment, people who are new to an area, and for older volunteers and people who might be isolated or not particularly integrated into society.
Improved self-esteem and sense of purpose: This can be really important in getting someone back to work, Volunteering can bring back your self-esteem and motivate you. Improved self-esteem can have an effect on other areas of your health and life.
Have fun: Most of all, volunteering should be an enjoyable experience and one that you look forward to. Cothrom is an open and friendly place with lots going on. Volunteers get involved in everything, driving around the islands collecting and delivering furniture, working in the shop serving customers, upcycling furniture, repairs and maintenance at the Centre, helping look after the garden in Daliburgh and Ormiclate, even working with the children to make crafts or reading.
We always have time and space for more volunteers. Volunteers are supported by a tutor/mentor and work towards a goal or a project.
Increasing skills: There are a huge range of skills you can acquire through volunteering, practical skills like DIY, textiles, painting, IT skills, gardening and horticulture, and life skills such as cooking and budgeting. We have volunteer opportunities to work with children and young people in our Gaelic medium nursery. There is a huge range of opportunities to learn new skills and develop existing skills.
Employability: Volunteering can help you develop the softer skills that employers are looking for including the ability to work in a team, problem solving and adaptability, communicating, time management.
Meet New People: Volunteering is a good way to meet people. This can be vital for younger people who are not in education or employment, people who are new to an area, and for older volunteers and people who might be isolated or not particularly integrated into society.
Improved self-esteem and sense of purpose: This can be really important in getting someone back to work, Volunteering can bring back your self-esteem and motivate you. Improved self-esteem can have an effect on other areas of your health and life.
Have fun: Most of all, volunteering should be an enjoyable experience and one that you look forward to. Cothrom is an open and friendly place with lots going on. Volunteers get involved in everything, driving around the islands collecting and delivering furniture, working in the shop serving customers, upcycling furniture, repairs and maintenance at the Centre, helping look after the garden in Daliburgh and Ormiclate, even working with the children to make crafts or reading.
We always have time and space for more volunteers. Volunteers are supported by a tutor/mentor and work towards a goal or a project.
Does volunteering affect my benefits?
You can volunteer with Cothrom while receiving benefits as long as you’re not getting paid for it and you’re still able to satisfy all of the conditions of your benefit.
How many hours can I volunteer for?
There’s no limit to the number of hours you can volunteer if you’re receiving benefits, as long as you can still spend the amount of time that you’ve agreed to on searching for a job.
What to I need to tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)?
You must tell your work coach what volunteering you’re going to do before you start doing it. You’ll need to tell them how many hours you plan to volunteer, what you’ll be doing and when the volunteering will take place.
You’ll need to provide evidence of your volunteering too, and keep your work coach up-to-date if your hours change.
You will be entitled to expenses for travel when you volunteer with Cothrom
How many hours can I volunteer for?
There’s no limit to the number of hours you can volunteer if you’re receiving benefits, as long as you can still spend the amount of time that you’ve agreed to on searching for a job.
What to I need to tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)?
You must tell your work coach what volunteering you’re going to do before you start doing it. You’ll need to tell them how many hours you plan to volunteer, what you’ll be doing and when the volunteering will take place.
You’ll need to provide evidence of your volunteering too, and keep your work coach up-to-date if your hours change.
You will be entitled to expenses for travel when you volunteer with Cothrom
Volunteering opportunities within cothrom
Retail/Shop Assistant.
Do you have some spare time? Are you outgoing and friendly? We are looking for people with good customer service skills that can work in our furniture shop and among our team. All training will be provided.
You will be helping with:
Workshop Assistant
Do you have spare time? Do you enjoy working with your hands and being creative? We at Cothrom ReStore are looking for people to help in our new workshop that can assist with preparing furniture for reuse. This will involve furniture repairs and also upcycling. If you enjoy learning new skills this could be for you. All training will be provided.
You will help with:
ReStore Van Driving
Do you enjoy being on the road but don’t want to pay for the Fuel? Here at Cothrom ReStore, we are looking for volunteers to drive our van. You will be assisting with the collections which are then bought back to the ReStore facility and repaired and sold, and deliveries of furniture to customers. If you enjoy meeting new people and driving around our islands then this could be perfect for you!
Applicants:
Van Assistant
Do you enjoy meeting new people and getting around our beautiful islands? Assisting on the restore van you will be part of a team that collects and delivers furniture from Berneray to Eriskay. All furniture collected is then bought back to ReStore to be repaired and sold.
Applicants:
Do you have some spare time? Are you outgoing and friendly? We are looking for people with good customer service skills that can work in our furniture shop and among our team. All training will be provided.
You will be helping with:
- Customer enquiries
- Handling phone calls
- Operating the till
- Helping dress the shop
Workshop Assistant
Do you have spare time? Do you enjoy working with your hands and being creative? We at Cothrom ReStore are looking for people to help in our new workshop that can assist with preparing furniture for reuse. This will involve furniture repairs and also upcycling. If you enjoy learning new skills this could be for you. All training will be provided.
You will help with:
- Checking furniture is fit for purpose.
- Creating upcycled furniture.
- Repairing furniture
ReStore Van Driving
Do you enjoy being on the road but don’t want to pay for the Fuel? Here at Cothrom ReStore, we are looking for volunteers to drive our van. You will be assisting with the collections which are then bought back to the ReStore facility and repaired and sold, and deliveries of furniture to customers. If you enjoy meeting new people and driving around our islands then this could be perfect for you!
Applicants:
- must be 25 or older
- Hold a full UK driving licence
- Be able to drive a 3.5 tonne van
- Will be subject to 6 monthly driving licence checks (first check completed before placement begins)
Van Assistant
Do you enjoy meeting new people and getting around our beautiful islands? Assisting on the restore van you will be part of a team that collects and delivers furniture from Berneray to Eriskay. All furniture collected is then bought back to ReStore to be repaired and sold.
Applicants:
- Must be able to lift heavy loads
- Will work in a team
- Have a good knowledge of the islands (desirable but not essential)
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Interested in becoming a volunteer? Please get in touch with the Learning Centre on 01878 700910.
Alternatively, you can fill out the enquiry form and one of our members of staff will get in touch. |