Volunteering with the SOS Bus

SOS Bus volunteers come from all walks of life and with this comes life experience, skills and enthusiasm. We are committed to providing equality and diversity for every volunteer.

Our volunteers care about our community and the people within it. We value our volunteers and their involvement, without which this project would not have grown and developed over the years.

Volunteers form part of a core team and complement existing staff by working in partnership and enabling skills to be passed on.

Many volunteers feel that they grow and personally develop as a result of the situations they deal with, increasing their understanding and confidence.

Training

SOS Bus volunteers undertake a variety of training as part of their role. Full training is provided and ongoing, this may include:

· First aid

· Safeguarding children and adults

· Alcohol and drug misuse

· Domestic abuse

· Sexual Assault Awareness

· Sexual Health

· Health & Safety

· Infection Control

· Food hygiene

· Mental health awareness

Some training may require volunteers to travel and be dedicated to attend formal courses. Some courses provided are via E-learning.

As a result of volunteering on the SOS Bus several individuals have gone on to gain employment. This has included security, managerial roles, Emergency Care Assistants and student paramedics.

Volunteer Roles

There are a number of roles that can be undertaken by volunteers including:

Distribution of refreshments and water

This role involves preparing and distributing tea/coffee/soup and water to individuals within the night-time economy. It helps support those who are vulnerable to the cold and can be offered from the unit as well as around the town centre.

Outreach support workers

This role involves patrolling the town offering outreach services within the community. This could be in the form of information and advice, providing first aid, removal of alcohol and drug paraphernalia from the streets, engaging with individuals about support services available and referral pathways. This role is more demanding and requires additional training in order to fully support an individual’s needs.

Distribution of services

This role involves working from the unit providing a number of free services. This role is about engagement with passers-by and identifying services to meet their needs. This might include providing flip flops for someone walking barefoot, clothing to help someone stay warm and dry, condoms and other sexual health information, and distribution of needle exchange packs. To have a knowledge of referral agencies.

Fundraising support

This role involves collecting donations with a bucket and engaging with the members of the public.

Interested in volunteering?

We are always looking for dedicated volunteers to join our team.

You must be over 18, willing to commit to 2 nights per month, no experience necessary.

All volunteers undertake an enhanced DBS check as part of their induction.

All volunteers will undertake an enhanced DBS check.

Think you could make a difference? Give something back to the community you live in? Would you like to gain new skills? Do you like a challenge? Need work experience? Then get in touch!