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Volunteers

• Volunteering for Solace womens Aid

• Board of Trustees

Volunteering for Solace Women’s Aid

Volunteering for Solace Womens Aid (SWA) can be immensely challenging but very rewarding and can provide an opportunity for you to learn new skills and develop exisiting ones whilst supporting women and children who have experienced or are experiening domestic violence.

Why Volunteer?

As a Volunteer you will be making a positive difference to our organisation in both the lives of the women and their children as well as the work of all our staff. You will find a variety of opportunities at SWA from working directly with Women and children, to playing a key role in our support services.

Volunteers bring with them a wealth of experience along with fresh perspectives and ideas that benefit the work of SWA.

Recruitment For ‘general’ volunteering, we recruit in January/February and July/August and both the Counselling Service and the Board of Trustees Volunteers are recruited on an ad-hoc basis, when vacancies arise

We recruit women of all ages and backgrounds and are always, in particular looking for women who have, themselves been affected by Domestic Violence and would like to gain skills and experience supporting other women and their families.

Women only may apply for these volunteer posts. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 applies. These volunteer posts are exempt from the rehabilitation of offenders act 1974 and subject to CRB checks.

Training and Support

You can also benefit from our wide-ranging volunteer training programmes (accredited training is also available) and you would receive regular support and supervision. You will also be reimbursed for your travel costs (except for Student Placements – see below).

Volunteering Commitment

Some volunteer roles are more flexible than others however, we will do our best to find a role for you that will fit your interests and enable you to volunteer at the times that suit you, wherever possible. We ask that a volunteer can offer a commitment of at least six-month (and up to a year for the Counselling Service), volunteering at least 2 half days or 1 day a week and at present, all our volunteering opportunities are Monday to Friday within office hours. *
(*Board of Trustee Volunteers meet approximately once a month, normally on a weekday evening and sub-groups meet on a Saturday)
For more details on the various volunteering opportunities please see below:

General volunteering information and application form

Board of trustees information and application form

Student Placements

SWA are often in the position to offer students a work placement therefore, if you would like to enquire about a placement, please make your initial enquiry by emailing volunteering@solacewomensaid.org outlining the course you are attending, along with the learning outcomes and your support needs, to enable us to assess whether we would be in a position to support you. Please note we are unable to pay for any travel or general expenses incurred by the student whilst on placement.

General Volunteering

Thank you for your interest in becoming involved with Solace Women’s Aid as a potential volunteer.

Please click on the documents below for more information on volunteering:

Application and Equal Opportunities Form

Frequently Asked Questions

Criminal Records Bureau information

If you would like to apply for a General Volunteer Opportunity, please complete the Application Form above and return it to:

Alternatively, you can print off the form and post it to:

The Volunteer Coordinator
Solace Women’s Aid
6 – 9 Manor Gardens
London
N7 6LA

When we receive your complete form, we will contact you to take your application further.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your options further, please contact us on

020 7272 1279

Counselling Service Volunteering

Thank you for your interest in becoming involved with Solace Women’s Aid as a potential volunteer.Please click on the documents below for more information on volunteering:
Application and Equal Opportunities Form

Essential Requirements

Criminal Records Bureau information

If you would like to apply for a Counselling Volunteer Opportunity, please complete the Application Form above and return it to:

The Counselling Service Coordinator
Solace Women’s Aid
6 – 9 Manor Gardens
London
N7 6LA

When we receive your complete form, we will contact you to take your application further.If you have any questions or would like to discuss your options further, please contact us on:-

020 7272 0980

Board of Trustee Volunteering

Thank you for your interest in becoming involved with Solace Women’s Aid as a potential volunteer.Please click on the documents below for more information on volunteering:

Application and Equal Opportunities Form

Board of Trustees Role Description

Criminal Records Bureau information

If you would like to apply for a Board of Trustees Volunteer Opportunity, please complete the Application Form above and return it to:

The Administrator
Solace Women’s Aid
136 Royal College Street
London NW1 0TA

When we receive your complete form, we will contact you to take your application further.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your options further, please contact us on

020 7428 7656

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Board of Trustees

General Description:

Solace Women’s Aid provides services to women and children who have experienced Domestic Violence, in four boroughs: Camden, Enfield, Islington and Lambeth. We provide specialist services to targeted communities within these boroughs including Bangladeshi, Somali, Irish, Irish Traveller and Turkish women and children.

Trustees are elected to the Board at the AGM of SWA. Trustees can be co-opted to the Board between AGM’s and must then be elected at the next AGM.

The Board of Trustees meets every six weeks in the evening. Board members are encouraged to join one of the Board sub-groups, which also meet in the evening or at the weekend.

Current sub-groups are Finance, Human Resources, Service Users, Policy & Development and PR & Fundraising.

Purpose of the Board of Trustees:

As a Trustee, you are entrusted to look after the resources of SWA and ensure that these resources are used effectively for the overall purpose of the organisation. You are expected to:

• Act in the best interests of the women and children who use our services

• Make sure money is spent on the purpose intended

• Operate within the organisational structure and constitution that sets out our purpose and rules

• Avoid conflicts of interest

Duties of a Trustee:

• To ensure that SWA pursues its objects as set out in the constitution

• To ensure that SWA uses its resources for the purposes intended

• To contribute actively to the Board of Trustees giving strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets

• To safe guard the values and good name of SWA

• To ensure the efficient and effective administration of SWA

• To ensure the financial stability of SWA

• To protect and manage the property of SWA

• To ensure the proper investment of SWA funds

• To appoint the Chief Executive Officer and monitor her performance

• To contribute any specific skills, knowledge or experience to help the Board of Trustees reach sound decisions

• To ensure that SWA complies with its constitution, charity law and any other relevant legislation or regulations

Skills and experience required:

• A commitment to the organisation

• An understanding of the impact of Domestic Violence on the lives of women and children

• A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
  
  
• Strategic Vision
  
  
• Good/Independent judgement
  
  
• An ability to think creatively
  
  
• A willingness to speak your mind
  
  
• An understanding and acceptance of the duties of the Trustee
  
  
• An ability to work effectively as a member of a team

Meeting Arrangements

Meetings take place centrally- frequently in Camden or Islington and usually take place on Monday - Thursdays between the hours of 6.30-8.20pm (approx.)

Please note that the service user sub-commitee takes place on Saturday.