Your help makes a great impact!
Through volunteering with us you can gain lots of skills, you can take part in training and you can make YMCA Brighton a better place – for you and for others around you. Here’s a little information on each opportunity now available to volunteer as a client:
Client Representative
Client representatives communicate with clients to make sure everyone’s opinions are heard – whether it’s about policy, procedure or practice.
You can help to run regular ‘Community Get Togethers’, meet with and consult with other Client Representatives at the Client Representative Panel, and attend our Client Services Advisory Group.
Newsletter contributor (regular and one-off)
We publish a newsletter every 3 months. The newsletter is a platform for you to share stories, tips, photos, poetry, positive experiences, or things you are passionate about.
Some of our clients have regular ‘features’ such as ‘Michael’s Video Game Review’, some work with our newsletter editor to put together one-off articles or comments.
Breakfast club assistant/ leader
At George Williams Mews every Friday there is a Breakfast Club, run completely by client volunteers. They manage the stock, take orders and cook all of the food for other clients to eat.
Gardening group member/ leader
All of our projects have flourishing Gardening Groups, they are always looking for new recruits to keep our communities looking green.
Coffee bar assistant/leader
At the coffee bar you can help to provide a safe and social space for people of William Collier House to come to.
Move on Mentor
Move on Mentors are people who have ‘moved on’ from Brighton YMCA for more independent accommodation (at least 3 months ago) and would like to help others to do the same.
Project guide
As a Project Guide you will help meet and greet new clients, you might give them a tour of the project and give them useful information (with the help of a ‘Guide Sheet’)
Peer mentor
Peer mentors support people who are completing a ‘Life Skills Course’. The courses are 8 weeks long and have 3 modules: IT, Personal Development and Cooking.
Activity, group or pop up event coordinator (regular or one-off)
Our projects run best when clients share their skills or passions with each other. If you have an idea then we can help you to make it a reality!
Previously clients have held cooking lessons, health walks, art groups, music lessons, and a pop up nail bar.
You can also help your project team to put on existing events – why not help your keyworker make the smoothies for the next ‘Health Day’? Or make the poster for the next ‘Mindfulness Session’?
I started volunteering at YMCA Brighton because I’d decided that I wanted to do something with my time. I helped new residents move into the building, and led the coffee bar. We did scrambled egg and bacon rolls for the whole building. It felt great rallying clients and making people feel welcome.
On Christmas Day I put together the buffet and I really wanted to get stuck in and make it fantastic for everyone. People don’t have much and often have bad memories of Christmas, so we wanted to make it a happy time. Staff gave me responsibility it made me feel like I could be trusted. Doing this helped me regain my confidence, which I’d lost a lot of it in the previous few years.
I now work full-time in a really fulfilling job, I’m up every day and it’s a pleasure to get on the bus and get to go to work. I don’t have any doubts about my job, I love it. So being a part of YMCA Brighton is an experience that I wouldn’t live without. After going through what I’ve been through, YMCA Brighton has helped me become the person I am today. (volunteer and client at YMCA Brighton )
I want to get involved!
Brilliant news, we want to hear from you!
Speak to a member of the team at your project, or have a chat with Briony on 01273 420 808 or briony.banks@brightonymca.co.uk
Alternatively, fill in the form below.