About
Sense College East is a specialist Further Education (FE) college, supporting students between 16-25, who have a wide range of disabilities. We aim to prepare young people to be as independent as ...
Charity Shop Volunteer - Huntingdon Shop
Contact person
Scan me or visit www.volunteercambs.org.uk/o/Sense-Volunteers1/activities/Charity-Shop-Volunteer---Huntingdon-Shop/99711 to join
Summary
Our amazing team of volunteers help us run over 100 shops across England and Wales.Detailed description
Volunteering for Sense
Our amazing team of volunteers help us run over 100 shops across England and Wales. Every donated item that you sort, prepare and sell helps to raise vital funds to support us in our mission to make sure no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, is isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our shops are at the heart of local communities – sharing the work of Sense, and helping to secure support for our life changing work.
What your role will involve
There are a variety of tasks that you can get involved with in the shop, including:
- Welcoming and assisting customers, providing great customer service and a fantastic shopping experience
- Receiving donated goods from members of the public
- Sorting, steaming, tagging and preparing donated goods for sale
- Creating eye catching window and in-shop displays
- Keeping the shop floor well stocked, tidy, clean and organised
- Processing sales and serving on the till
- Promoting Gift Aid and other Sense fundraising initiatives
- Acting as an ambassador for Sense; promoting the shop and Sense in your local community
- Supporting with the recruitment and training of new volunteers
- Following new health and safety measures to ensure the safety of everyone
Will the role suit me? Yes, if you are:
- Motivated and hardworking
- Reliable, flexible and willing to do a variety of shop tasks
- A team player
- Friendly and helpful
- Passionate about customer service and enjoy interacting with people
- Respectful of others and their diversity
- Interested in supporting the work of Sense and want to make a difference to people who have complex disabilities and are deafblind.
What can Sense offer me as a volunteer?
- A full induction and ongoing support and guidance from your Shop Manager to make sure you feel confident in your role
- Support to develop new skills, knowledge and experience, in particular of a retail environment, but also skills such as teamwork, customer service, communication and using your initiative
- A reference for other paid or voluntary work (available on request)
- The opportunity to share your existing skills and experience to benefit others
- The chance to meet new people from a wide range of backgrounds and to join a passionate and committed team
- The opportunity to make an invaluable contribution to Sense by raising vital income and raising the profile of Sense in your local community; changing the lives of those who have complex disabilities and are deafblind
- Access to Sense discounts and advice, including cashback and discounts on hight street brands, as well as 10% off at Sense charity shops.
About Sense
For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind. Sense is here to offer personalised support to help people communicate and experience the world. We believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our experts offer support that’s tailored to the individual needs of each person, whether that’s at our centres, through our holidays and short breaks, or in people’s own homes. In addition to practical support, we also provide information to families, and campaign for the rights of people with complex disabilities to take part in life.
Volunteers add real value to Sense, bringing their passion, enthusiasm and fresh perspectives to the work that we do. We believe that volunteers enable us to bring people together, and provide opportunities for people with complex disabilities to communicate and experience the world.
We include. We collaborate. We find a way. We challenge. We celebrate.
About Sense Volunteers
Sense College East has 8 locations in the East of England, East Midlands and West Midlands:
Aldeby, Suffolk
Bedford, Bedfordshire
Dereham, Norfolk
Knapwell, Cambridgeshire
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
Rothwell, Northamptonshire
Touchbase Pears, Birmingham
Streatley, Luton
Candidates interested in the role of Lay Governor at college must be able to demonstrate commitment to Safeguarding, Strategic leadership and a passion to Further Education particularly Specialist Education. A understanding of issues facing the post 16 specialist education sector would be desirable. If you feel you have the ability to make a positive contribution to meetings and provide constructive challenge to support senior managers at the college we would love to hear from you. We anticipate that the successful candidates will need to commit a minimum of 4 half days per term to the role in relation to meetings and preparation. The ability to attend other ad-hoc college events and visits would also be very welcomed.
This is a primarily virtual role, with all meetings taking place remotely, and an expectation of travelling to college sites once a term.
The role of members of the Governing Body is to provide strategic leadership, support and constructive challenge to the college senior management team to ensure that Sense College provides an excellent education experience for all students. The Governors will work with the college senior management to ensure the college offers a broad based curriculum to maximise the teaching and learning experiences of all its students, with demonstrable outcomes. Sense College East Lay Governors will attend 3 full committee meetings a year, plus 3 extra meetings for their chosen sub-committee. Meetings last from 90 minutes for sub-committees and 2 hours 30 minutes for the full committee, Lay Governors will come prepared and engaged, having done the reading the prior and ready to ask any questions they may have. Governors of Sense College have a varied role encompassing a range of duties. Much of this is undertaken through participation in the full Governing Body meetings and Sense College sub-committees according to a governor`s experience and skillset, and through college visits.
Some examples of governor duties are below, noting that these are not exclusive:
Reviewing, approving and monitoring the implementation of the Sense College 2022-2025 Strategic Plan
Approving the final Sense College Annual Self-Assessment Report (SAR)
Reviewing and monitoring progress and outcomes from the Sense College Quality Improvement Plan (QuIP)
Reviewing students’ progress and achievements through a range of products i.e. case studies, reports and visits to Sense College
Reviewing college data against Key Performance Indicators and dashboards.
Participating in Ofsted inspection meetings on governance to support Sense College and the college senior management team
Monitoring implementation of safeguarding (SfG) procedures, keeping updated with current SfG legislation and governors Prevent responsibilities
Monitoring college budget performance with the emphasis on new students referrals funded through the Education and Skills Funding Agency
Attending and participating in governor training events, student celebrations and college visits
About us
For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind. Sense is here to offer personalised support to help people communicate and experience the world. We believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our experts offer support that’s tailored to the individual needs of each person, whether that’s at our centres, through our holidays and short breaks, or in people’s own homes. In addition to practical support, we also provide information to families, and campaign for the rights of people with complex disabilities to take part in life.
Volunteers add real value to Sense, bringing their passion, enthusiasm and fresh perspectives to the work that we do. We believe that volunteers enable us to bring people together, and provide opportunities for people with complex disabilities to communicate and experience the world.
Sense values
We include. We collaborate. We find a way. We challenge. We celebrate.
Apply online at: https://volunteers.sensecareers.org.uk/254403PCVS