Volunteer with us
Volunteers are an invaluable part of Nova Children's Project and we are grateful for the support they give us. We are always looking for enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers to join our team, so please get in touch if you are interested. Simply by giving your time and sharing your passion, you will make a real difference to many children and young people and their families' lives.
See what some of our previous volunteers have said about their time with us:
FAQs
Why volunteer with us?
Volunteering with Nova Children's Project can be beneficial for a range of reasons, including:
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Help you gain a wealth of experience and develop valuable skills many of which are transferable into the work place
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Increase your knowledge and understanding of disabilities and the lived experience for children, young people and their families.
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An opportunity to make a difference to the lives of the children and young people who attend our services and give something back to your local community
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Can be used to support your university applications and provide required experience for a range of courses, particularly those relating to health and social care
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Access to training opportunities, improving your knowledge and understanding of a range of topics
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Enhance your CV and increase job opportunities
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Support with schemes such as Duke of Edinburgh Award or Creativity Activity Service for the IB
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An opportunity to meet new people and make friends
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Most importantly, it is fun and rewarding!
What will I do as a volunteer?
You will support the children and young people whilst they attend our clubs and playschemes; playing and interacting with them, looking after them and ensuring they are having a good time. You will be working alongside other volunteers and experienced staff.
What training and support would I receive?
All our volunteers complete our Volunteer Induction, which covers important topics such as Disability Awareness, Communication Skills, Safeguarding, Confidentiality and Health and Safety.
Where appropriate, you may be offered additional training, such as Makaton, enteral feeding, epilepsy awareness, behaviour management and moving and handling. During your time as a volunteer with us, our Project Manager will be available for any advice or help you feel you need.
When can I volunteer?
During term-time, we run Weekend Clubs on two weekends each month (both Saturday and Sunday). One weekend is in Southborough and one is in Tonbridge. During school holidays, we run a Holiday Playscheme for approx. four days per week, which can be a mixture of weekdays and weekends. All sessions are 9:30am-3:30pm for our staff/volunteers.
You are able to choose at which sessions you would like to volunteer, enabling you to fit it around your other commitments.
How often would I need to volunteer?
We ask for a minimum commitment of one session per month for at least six months. This ensures we can keep some consistency for the children and young people we support and it means you get the most out of the experience.
Alternatively, if you are interested in volunteering in a one-off block, you can do so during our Summer Playscheme, which runs approx. four days per week during the school summer holiday. For this, we ask that you complete a minimum of eight sessions in total. This can either be in a block of two weeks or spread out across the summer holiday.
How old do I need to be to volunteer?
Due to the nature of the role, you need to be aged 16 or over. There is no upper age limit.
Where is the role based?
We currently run clubs and playschemes in both Tunbridge Wells (Southborough) and Tonbridge. You would need to be able to get yourself to one or the other.
Will you provide me with a reference?
Yes, we are more than happy to provide references for volunteers who have fulfilled their agreed commitment with us.
If you have any further questions about volunteering with us, please do not hesitate to get in touch.