“You Can Volunteer”
New volunteer drive launched in Eastbourne during Volunteers Week 2017
A new campaign to encourage more disabled people to volunteer is being launched in Eastbourne this week by local charity, Possability People. Together with Eastbourne Access Group, Eastbourne Disability Involvement Group, Sussex Wildlife Trust and Sussex Neighbourhood Watch, Possability People are letting groups know just how easy it is to make volunteering opportunities more accessible.
Volunteers Week takes place from 1 – 7June and celebrates the difference volunteers made to communities around the country. A new set of four posters is being unveiled by each of the charities during the week.
Geraldine Des Moulins, Possability People’s Chief Officer says:
“Eastbourne is lucky to have such a wealth of volunteers who provide hours and hours of support every day of the week. But we know there are lots of local disabled people, and people with long term health conditions, who would also really like to do some voluntary work.
“‘You Can Volunteer’ is about supporting local groups so they understand and feel confident that their volunteer opportunities can be filled by disabled people, who in our experience, bring an enormous amount of skill and experience with them”.
Top Tips for Accessible Volunteering
- Think about what your prospective volunteer can bring to you, instead of thinking about their disability.
- Promote your volunteer opportunities directly to disabled people.
- The volunteer might not need very much support, but they will be very happy to talk to you about what they do need, so just ask them.
- Talk to Possability People about how they can help, with things like disability awareness training and talk to you about how easy it can be.
If you would like to know more about how Possability People can support you and your volunteers, email katharine@possabilitypeople.org.uk