New role for African volunteers at George House Trust

posted: 16/12/2010

George House Trust is launching an exciting new peer support service for people living with HIV from African communities. The project is funded by the Volunteering Fund and aims to reduce the stigma and isolation that many people living with HIV from African communities experience. Trained volunteers will offer peer support in a range of settings through sharing their own experiences of living with HIV, providing basic information about HIV and offering emotional support.

We are currently recruiting volunteers for the project and would like to encourage HIV positive people from African communities to apply.

The deadline for applications is Friday 14th January 2011 and we will be delivering our first Peer Support Volunteer Training Course  on the 21st, 24th and 26th January 2011.

If you would like to talk about getting involved as a volunteer, please speak to Laura on 0161 274 5653 or email: volunteering@ght.org.uk

Click here to read the volunteer role description.

Click here to apply to be a volunteer with this project.

You can also download the application form here.

Volunteers - Skilled for Health

posted: 05/11/2010

Our volunteer programme is featured as a case study in the new Skills For Health Volunteering Guide. It's for people advising about volunteering in the health sector.
 

The guide includes

• Surprising facts about volunteering in the health sector
• Individual case studies showcasing personal stories of volunteering
• Organisational case studies detailing how volunteers make an impact on services
• Tips for successful volunteering
• Careers information
• Links to further information.

Apart from the two page George House Trust volunteers case study, you will find examples of volunteering in healthcare across community groups, voluntary groups, charities and the NHS and find out the difference it makes to patients, people using services, staff and volunteers.
 

There is also information about building volunteering experiences into a career.
 

These success stories inspire potential volunteers to consider the benefits of volunteering in healthcare organisations across the UK.
 

Information about volunteering with George House Trust

Careers in Healthcare: A Guide to Volunteering in Healthcare Organisations The George House Trust case study is on pages 32 & 33.
 

Skills for Health
 

Volunteering - a positive experience

posted: 29/07/2010

George House Trust’s annual volunteer survey has shown an increase in volunteer satisfaction with 95% feeling they get support “whenever they need it” (up 4%) 93% happy with the recognition they receive in their volunteering (up 6%) and 95% feeling well informed about volunteer activities.

“All I can say is that it is a great voluntary organisation to work for” (survey respondent)

Volunteers also gave positive feedback about the training they receive with 100% saying that volunteer training courses are of good quality (up 10%) and 93% feeling that the induction training prepared them for their role (up 8%).

The benefits of volunteering are wide ranging: 80% say their confidence in their abilities has increased, 67% say they have developed vocational/job related skills and 97.5% have increased their understanding of different cultures and communities. Of those volunteers living with HIV, 73% feel more confident disclosing their HIV status as a result of volunteering at George House Trust.

“Thanks to volunteering at GHT, it has given me more confidence to face the world as a person living with HIV” (survey respondent)

Volunteers support George House Trust in a wide range of roles and gave over 9600 hours in the year 2009-2010. To find out more about volunteering, read the volunteering section of our website or come along to our next information session for new volunteers on Monday 20th September, 11am-1pm at George House Trust.
 

Celebrating 25 years of volunteering!

posted: 04/06/2010

Over 40 volunteers enjoyed cake, candles and a look back at 25 years of volunteer involvement at George House Trust. The event was timed to coincide with National Volunteers Week and to celebrate George House Trust’s 25th Birthday year.
 

George House Trust was established by six volunteers in 1985, and today we involve over 130 volunteers in our work.
 

Volunteers play a key role in delivering responsive and relevant services to people living with HIV, challenging stigma and promoting the best possible quality of life for HIV positive people in North West England.
 

Heart of Salford Organisation of the Year
This week also saw George House Trust receive the Heart of Salford Organisation of the Year Award, in recognition of the way we involve and support our volunteers.
A big thank you to all our volunteers, from the staff and service users at George House Trust!
 

Want to get involved?
Want to get involved as a George House Trust volunteer? Our next Information Session for prospective volunteers is on Monday 6th July, 6pm-8pm at George House Trust or please email
 

Learning and Development for GHT Volunteers!

posted: 26/05/2010

Following the success of last year’s Volunteer Learning and Development Calendar, we are launching our exciting programme for 2010-2011! Highlights include sessions on Hepatitis C and HIV from Sue Russell (Lead Hepatitis Specialist Nurse), Issues for Older People with HIV, Understanding Sexual Orientation and Homophobia, HIV and Asylum Q&A and new training for our awareness raising volunteers!

Click here to download a copy of the 2010-2011 Learning and Development Calendar.

Learning and development is an important part of volunteering at George House Trust and ensures you have the knowledge and skills to undertake your volunteer role. We ask that all volunteers aim to attend 10 hours of learning and development activities each year.

We've tried to make it easy for you to see which courses are right for you. Please check the calendar to see which courses match which types of volunteer roles.

Please note that you will have to book a place, in advance, in order to attend any volunteer learning and development events. You can book onto training courses by following the link below:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/learnanddevelop

If you are having problems using this link, please email: volunteering@ght.org.uk or phone 0161 274 5653.

Happy learning!