Voluntary Work

Voluntary Action
Voluntary Action organisations support local voluntary and community groups. They can advise on local volunteering openings, and help by matching your skills to an appropriate opening.

Being a volunteer can be of great benefit to you and your new community, bringing opportunities to:

Get to know your community
Learn about the local amenities and services available
Make new friends
Learn new skills
Improve job prospects
Improve language skills


There are four centres:


Chippenham    01249 654089
CVS North Wiltshire
3 – 4 New Road
SN15 1EJ
www.cvsnw.org.uk 

Pewsey   01672 564140
Voluntary Action Kennet
12 River Street
SN9 5DN
www.voluntary-action-kennet.org.uk    


Salisbury   01722 421747
Wessex Community Action
Salisbury Volunteer Centre
42 – 46 Salt Lane
SP1 1EP
www.wessexcommunityaction.org.uk    


Trowbridge   01225 767993
Voluntary Action West Wilts
Bridge House
Stallard Street
BA14 0AE
www.vaww.org.uk    

Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) are staffed mainly by volunteers.  People volunteer either as interpreters, or as advisors, or for particular positions such as administration or to assist with research.  If you wish to be an advisor, the Bureaux will train you, and on completion you would receive a certificate that is nationally recognised which could be used in any advisory work within the CAB or in many other organisations.


Part Time Work
If you have skills that you would like to teach, you could teach part time without a British Teaching Certificate, and without a degree.  You could, for example, teach the Polish language to British people.  Or you could teach any skill or knowledge that you might have, such as carpentry, first aid, driving, in the Polish language to other Polish people.  To do this your level of English would have to be good.   This could be either paid or unpaid work. If you are working at a college or school, teaching for a period of time would go towards your studies if you would like to obtain a Teaching Certificate.  A Teaching Certificate would enable you to teach anywhere in the UK. 

WILTSHIRE FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE

The Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service is part of the Emergency Services.  Firefighters are available and ready to deal with emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Fire Service responds to emergencies such as:


Fires
Floods
Road traffic accidents
Chemical spillages
Rope rescues

The Fire Service does not charge for attending genuine emergencies

If you need the assistance of the Fire Service:
Telephone the number 999 and tell the operator you need the Fire Service
Give them details of the emergency such as location and type of emergency
Give them as much information as possible

If you are not confident giving the information necessary in English, when the operator answers your call say the English word for the language you require and wait, and an interpreter will speak to you in the language you need.

Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service can also give you advice about how to keep your home and workplace safe.  Please call the Community Safety Team for more information, telephone 0800 389 7849.