Volunteer at SYDNI

SYDNI was created by local residents to offer their own community opportunities and support. Most of this is delivered by volunteers who are integral to the operation and development of the services offered by SYDNI. In our existing programmes, our volunteers are involved in wide range of activities. Current activities include, amongst others, providing support to young people and helping develop opportunities for them, improving the local environment, literacy and numeracy classes, careers advice, migrant worker drop in support, community lunch and holiday activities. We are keen to encourage and actively support new volunteer-led community projects that deliver benefit to the SYDNI Community. Contact volunteer@SYDNI.org or phone 01926 422071 for an initial discussion on any of the roles listed below.

 Volunteer Cafe Worker

Based at:                  The SYDNI Centre Café

Purpose:

  1. To provide catering support to the Café Manager including the preparation and cooking of meals and baked sweet items for café, ensuring food is served fresh and on time
  2. To ensure that the SYDNI Centre Community Café runs smoothly

Overview:     This is a fantastic opportunity to build your experience working within a catering environment, gaining customer service and food preparation skills, as well as event catering experience.

In order to fulfil this position, you will need to have the following skills:

  • Able to work quickly under pressure
  • Passionate about good healthy food
  • Able to work on own initiative and to work with others collectively
  • Good organisational skills
  • Knowledge of food safety (or willingness to learn)
  • The ability to understand and a willingness to work within SYDNI’s  equal opportunities and confidentiality policies

Tasks you will undertake:

  1. Assisting in the preparation of lunch orders
  2. Preparing hot drinks for customers and room hire groups
  3. Serving customers at café counter
  4. Providing a warm and friendly welcome
  5. Helping to maintain a clean and efficient kitchen
  6. Assisting Café Manager with health and safety requirements
  7. Assisting Café Manager with stock rotation and control
  8. Supporting existing user groups and helping to develop café services

Skills you will acquire:

  • Working in a busy catering environment
  • Knowledge of Food Hygiene Legislation
  • Customer Service
  • Working with a diverse community

Volunteer Gardener

Based at:                  The SYDNI Centre

Purpose:

1.   To maintain the existing Community Garden planting scheme.

2.    To maintain The Community Garden so that it can be enjoyed by the public at all times.

Overview:

Gardens are a changing landscape, with plants requiring pruning and feeding and fresh planting to be done.  See how the seasons affect living things!  No previous gardening experience necessary.

Tools and Equipment provided. Any level of gardening experience welcome.

In order to fulfil this position, you will need to:

1.    Be able to work as part of a team, making decisions as a group and by consensus.

2.    Be willing to share your ideas with the group.

3.    Be able to initiate your own ideas.

4.    Enjoy working outside.

5.    Be enthusiastic about gardening.

Tasks you will undertake:

1.   Planting and seed sowing.

2.  Tend the plants (weeding, pruning, feeding and watering)

3.  Help maintain the Community Garden

4.  Litter-picking

For further information contact Rani our volunteer Coordinator on 01926 422071


Volunteer Newsletter Deliverer

Post Title:           SYDNI Newsletter Deliverer

Responsible to and reports to:      The SYDNI Volunteer Coordination Team

Day / Hours:                When newsletters need delivering!

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SYDNI produces a newsletter several times a year, which needs to be printed and delivered.

Job Summary

To assist in the printing and delivering of the SYDNI Newsletter.

Specific Duties

To photocopy the newsletter.

To collate the newsletter ready to be dispatched.

To make sure all properties on the Sydenham Estate receive a copy of the newsletter.

Our newsletters let local people know about our opportunities, activities, groups and events, in order that they can participate, so your help would be greatly appreciated.

You would receive plenty of support and guidance in this role.


Volunteer Crafty People

The SYDNI Centre is looking for Volunteer Crafty People.

We have a Crafts Group which meets every Wednesday 9 am  – pm at the SYDNI Centre.

The group is mainly attended by older people.

We need people to come in and share simple, easy, different and not expensive crafts with the group.

You could come in regularly, or for a few sessions, or just for 1 session, to share your craft skills.


Volunteer, ESOL Teachers

We require a volunteer to assist in the delivery of English as a Second Language (ESOL) classes here at the SYDNI Centre.  Currently, classes, ranging from Level 1 to Level 3 are taught, with demand aligned to student numbers.   This opportunity specifically exists with regard to running a class on Wednesday mornings 9:30 – 11:30 am. We are also keen to recruit a teacher who can run a Conversational English.

Skills/qualifications required:

1.    Be TESOL, Celta or TEFL qualified.

2.    Be willing to teach English as a Second Language to a group, or groups of students.

Tasks you will undertake:

1.   Prepare class content as agreed with ESOL lead teacher as required.

2.   Collect monies from students as required.

3.   Take ESOL classes or assist in the teaching of classes as required

Volunteer, Food Co-Op

The SYDNI Centre runs a Food Co-Operative on Thursday mornings from 9.30 til usually around 12.
Skills/qualifications required:

Passionate about good healthy food
Able to work on own initiative and to work with others collectively
Good organisational skills

Tasks you will undertake:
  1. Carry Fruit & Veg from delivery point to Hall
  2. Weigh fruit & veg
  3. Pack fruit & veg into bags
  4. Move bags for collection
  5. Tidy up
Skills you will acquire:
  • Working with a diverse community
  • Knowledge of recipes