Volunteer

Volunteers are the “magic key" to our success

Volunteer

Volunteers are the “Magic” key to our success

Volunteering at Cheshire Young Carers is a great way to develop skills, gain experience, whilst helping to improve the lives of young carers who need support. Alongside personalised training and overall experience, volunteers are always supported to explore what role suits them best and how their volunteer role can be enjoyed with the right balance between fun, challenge and reward.

What magic do you want to perform?

  • Changing a young carers life for ever
  • Give a young carer an opportunity they would never access without you
  • Feel really good that you have given a little something back

Volunteering Opportunities

If you want to support children who are young carers there are lots of ways to use your skills and time to help.  Below are some ideas but if nothing appears to fit you, give us a call and we will try to match you to a volunteering role that suits you. Feel free to offer a unique suggestion to how you can support children who are young carers.

 

School Holiday Respite Programmes: Each school holiday period we organise activities and excursions to give young carers a bit of their childhood back. There is a need to have volunteers support our trained staff to deliver these events. This can be as regular or as occasional as you wish – it all helps and gives you an extremely rewarding and fun day out.

Time Commitment 1-3 days/week during each school holiday


Fortnightly Respite Sessions: In towns around Cheshire we organise regular meetings for young carers with activities. They last around 2 hours and our trained staff always look forward to additional support from volunteers. Get in touch if this suits your needs and we will welcome your support in this role. Sessions are held in Chester, Ellesmere Port, Winsford, Crewe, Macclesfield, Knutsford.

Time Commitment 3 hours per session for those sessions you want to support


In- school Respite Sessions: These are respite sessions delivered on a regular basis in a school setting, usually at the end of the school day and designed to provide some additional respite. They also help young carers form friendship groups within the school of like-minded children. We are aiming to widen our offer to support young carers in various areas so please get in touch if you feel you can support children in your local area a couple of hours a fortnight. You need to be available between 4pm and 6pm.

Time Commitment 3 hours per session for those sessions you want to support


Residentials: Have you been a guide/scout/youth leader where you understand the whole residential experience? If so, we would love to hear from you to discuss how you can support residential experiences for young carers. Surveys always show that these are the most valued of the events we organise.

Time Commitment 2 days + overnight (usually weekends) for events you want to support


Education Support Officer: If you have experience as a teacher or support role in a school, are a good listener and want to positively impact the educational outcomes of young carers then this volunteer role might be right for you. You need to be available during the day so that you can work with schools in your area helping to identify and then support children who are young carers with out unique tools.

Time Commitment 3-9 hours a month during term time


Change a life with a skill: If you have an interest and/or skill that you are prepared to share with young carers we would love to hear from you. Below are a couple of examples, however, if you have a skill – please get in touch.


Beauty treatments: Maybe you are good with hair, make up and nails and would be prepared to show young carers how it’s done. You just need to share your tips, tricks and experience with our children.

Time Commitment 2-3 sessions each year (each session is 2 hours)


Video gaming: Are you a ‘gamer’? We have many retro consoles and all the equipment and games that you can remember as classics! Could you lead a group of young carers through the video games of old, right up to the most modern games?

Time Commitment 2-3 sessions each year (each session is 2 hours)


Sports Coaching: Do you enjoy sports? Could you lead an activity for young people, perhaps helping them learn a new sport or just simply get them more active? You don’t need to be a qualified coach, just a passion to deliver fun activities to a group of young carers!

Time Commitment 2-3 sessions each year (each session is 2-3 hours)


Arts and Crafts: Are you great with your hands? Do you build things, knit, love painting or anything practical like that? Then why don’t you help young carers make more than memories and create something they can be proud to take home!

Time Commitment 5-6 sessions each year (each session is 2 hours)


Cooking: A lot of young carers don’t learn key life skills. Perhaps you’re a keen baker, or can help children learn the basics of cooking and meals?

Time Commitment 2-3 sessions each year (each session is 2 hours)


Domestic Skills: Young carers often have busy lives, and like a lot of young people, don’t get the chance to learn important skills ready for adulthood. Perhaps you are someone can help them learn this key domestic skill such as ironing.  If you can turn it into a fun activity, all the better.

Time Commitment 2-3 sessions each year (each session is 2 hours)


Apple Computer Advocate: If you are really good with Apple technology, we would like you to work with some of our older young carers to follow up visits to Apple Shops where they have taken part in training events using iPads

Time Commitment 3-4 sessions each year (each session is 2 hours)


Adult Support Area: If you want to help but want a more ‘behind the scenes’ role and don’t want to work directly with children, then there are some great opportunities to help Cheshire Young Carers.

Time Commitment 3-4 sessions each year (each session is 2 hours)


Marketing : Help with ideas to raise our profile and support for our programmes

Time Commitment 10 hours each year


Social media champions: Help us build our social media profile to shout about what we do.

Time Commitment 10 hours each year

“ We have a fantastic group of Young Carers staying with us this week from around Cheshire. I've been lucky to spend a little time today with 10 year old Caitlyn who helps to look after her twin brothers, one of whom has additional needs. Caitlyn talked so positively about taking on this role, it was clear that she's a caring young girl who loves to help. Cheshire Young Carers provides fortnightly sessions for these fantastic children, a time for them to play and have fun and to meet other children who are taking on a caring role. Caitlyn told me how much she loves these sessions and how great it is to spend time with other children who are 'helpful' too. We're honoured to offer these amazing children a break away from their caring roles in a supportive, fun and safe environment here at CAFT. These children deserve to be celebrated every day of the week, but especially today - National Siblings Day today. We're in awe of these caring young children and it's an honour to spend time with them during their stay. ”

CAFT

“ Joining Cheshire Young Carers as a volunteer in May of last year has enabled me to rebuild the confidence I’d felt I had lost in supporting young people. When I started with Cheshire Young Carers my confidence had hit rock bottom and I wasn’t sure how I’d get on but working with Cheshire Young Carers and the young carers has given me back some of that confidence I’d lost as well as being an absolute joy to support you all with what you do so thank you. ”

Volunteer

“ The Fly Day was SO AMAZING! cannot thank the Cheshire Young Carers team, the pilots, police helicopter staff and support staff enough for this fantastic opportunity for all my boys. Nothing was too much trouble, everyone did so much to make them feel special, and give them such happy memories. They learnt a lot. To have an event that the whole family could share in was fab. To see my 13 year old autistic son go from being too scared to fly to going up and actually flying the plane- “thank you” doesn’t even begin to cover it. ”

Parent

“ What a fantastic programme this Summer! Many thanks to everyone who has worked so hard to organise or contribute to it. Thank you again. ”

Parent

“ My son attends Cheshire Young Carers and I have to say what an absolute amazing charity this is, it gives the young carers some fantastic opportunities which they may never have had experienced without the charity. Hats off to all the staff they are all welcoming and caring towards the young carers and it's them that make the charity and of course all the lovely kind donations. ”

Parent

“ A huge thank you to all the team who work so hard to arrange these events- what an amazing opportunity for the children! ”

Parent

“ Cheshire Young Carers are amazing. They have helped my girls through some very tough times. The staff are amazing, I class them as friends. Nothing is too much trouble and they are always at the end of a phone if needed. Thank you so much. ”

Parent

“ Thank you for giving Dominic this great experience, he has had an amazing time and says he didn’t want to come home!! he is still buzzing about it. Thank you for helping me in helping him to gain more independence and life skills. He loved the zip wire activity and the body boarding and was full of educational facts about the hidden garden. He wants us to all go as a family. ”

Parent

“ Today's Trip our guests were Cheshire Young Carers our guests gave us a couple of thank you cards at the end of the trip, first time that has happened, and it was very kind of them to do that. It was an absolute pleasure to have such a lovely group of people on the boat. ”

Wirral Narrowboat Community Trust

“ Cheshire Young Carers do a fab job helping and supporting their young carers in their roles and also helping them to be kids again. My daughter’s confidence has grown so much since attending these sessions. From the bottom of my heart I thank Cheshire Young Carers and children adventure farm trust for everything you do. she has just arrived home and had an amazing time. ”

Parent

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