Volunteer Session Buddy
Closing Date: 27th May
The Rewild Project is an environmental education project, dedicated to enacting radical social change by teaching a range of craft and land skills and promoting a true local economy. We target marginalised and disadvantaged groups here in The Forest of Dean with a range of community projects. Our ultimate-goal is to create a sustainable land based eco village community of craftspeople and land workers here in the Forest of Dean, running apprenticeship programmes and building a real, workable local economy.
We run a number of Heritage Crafts and Land based Projects aimed at a range of groups. This role is supporting our open access weekday sessions run Tuesdays – Fridays where we run a range of therapeutic and low pressure craft and land based skills to improve people’s health, wellbeing and to inspire a new generation of self-directed skilled workers.
This role is a volunteer ‘Buddy’ for participants at the open access weekday sessions.
We are looking for volunteers to provide support to new or existing participants at our project who need additional support for a variety of reasons. This could be people with high anxiety about attending or adults with learning disabilities, autism, older people who need some physical assistance and reassurance, young people who are not in education, employment or training and need a mentor.
You will be able to ‘show them the ropes’ and stay with them as much as is needed and provide supervision where needed. There will be a 1:1-1:3 ratio depending on the personal risk assessment.
We will provide additional support and training for you so that you feel confident and comfortable and know who to discuss any concerns with.
What you get:
Satisfaction of helping other people and being part of a team.
Extra training opportunities.
Building skills & confidence.
Experience of supporting other people.
CV experience.
A transferable DBS certificate.
Personal Qualities:
Warm & welcoming manor.
Good communicator.
Patient & tolerant.
Team player.
Reasonable fitness level.
Flexible, adaptable, ability to learn new skills.
Be aware of and able to follow health and safety guidance.
A personal self-development / Personal rewilding practice.
Skills & Experience: Essential
Timekeeping and reliability.
Supporting other people in some capacity.
Ability and willingness to complete online safeguarding and other training courses.
Ability to follow risk assessments.
Ability to work as a team and follow safeguarding protocols.
Skills / Experience: Desirable
Working with vulnerable adults or children.
Safe tool use skills.
Living or working off-grid.
Forest school training.
Interest in living or working in cooperative or non-hierarchical settings, alternative settings, using Sociocracy /S3 or consensus decision making.
Authentic relating / communication / NVC (Non-Violent Communication).
Roles & Responsibilities:
Induction into The Rewild Project aims & ethos.
Complete a DBS application and sign up to update service to keep validity.
Safeguarding training.
Attending agreed sessions to work with 1-3 individuals at a time, providing support and supervision.
Ongoing staff training / team building across The Rewild Project. Occasional evenings and weekends by agreement.
Commitment to engaging in the Rewild conflict resolution process if/when conflict arises.
Follow the project’s policies and procedures.