Volunteer Roles

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Steel Bones. Volunteering with Steel Bones offers a unique opportunity to make a profound impact on the lives of amputee families, helping them overcome challenges and thrive within a supportive community. Our organization is deeply rooted in the power of volunteering, with volunteers serving as the lifeblood of our initiatives.

Why Volunteer for Steel Bones?

Empower Amputee Families:

  • Your efforts will directly support individuals and families affected by limb loss, providing them with the resources and community they need to live life to the fullest.
  • Develop Valuable Skills:
    Engage in roles that enhance your abilities, from event coordination to peer mentoring, all while receiving support and training from our dedicated team.
  • Experience Personal Growth: Volunteering has been linked to improved mental and physical health, offering a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Here is some information on some of the roles we have available:

Family Mentors

Time Required: Up to 5 hours a week.

Family Mentors provide proactive, practical support to problem-solve and motivate the amputee and their family to resolve urgent issues quickly, which can positively change their daily lives. They are volunteers who understand what they are going through and can provide that lived experience and comradery that gives hope that the bad days will end.

With this training, you will be able to support all Steel Bones activities as well as supporting families triaged in the Red level who may need some additional 121 communication, support with housing or benefits from one of the Steel Bones experts who will work with you to provide this.

You must complete the online Induction training before attending Family Mentor Training.

The training will take place face to face on a Saturday for around 5/6 hours, including a lunch break and some fun and games. You will meet the rest of your peers and will become a close knit team working together to make a big difference to families in tough times.

Typical Tasks Include:

  • Welcoming amputees and their families to the Steel Bones Community with a phone call
  • Providing a non-judgmental listening ear and working with them to create an action plan so problems can be tackled bit by bit.
  • Providing motivation and encouragement to get involved in Steel Bones and/or their local community’s activities and events
  • Using the Steel Bones database to log communications
  • Communicating with the Operations Steering Group
  • Communicating with the Safeguarding Duty Manager any concerns or issues which may arise.
  • Participating in the 1 hour wellbeing group session every month
  • Meet with Rachel online every 6 weeks for a catch up supervision, which should last no more than 30 minutes.
  • Making phone calls of no more than 15-30 minutes to check in with the amputee and their family
  • Help, advice, signposting on what is often a complex world of post amputation, particularly Post pandemic as Physio services are reduced and counselling waiting lists are huge
  • Sharing your knowledge and experience as a mum, dad, grandparent or carer, or amputee yourself
  • Be an ambassador for Steel Bones Community Culture and embrace all aspects
  • If you feel that a Home Visit is necessary, please do let Volunteer Coordinator know who in turn will discuss with the Safe-guarding Team.
  • Participating in the 1 hour catch up zoom every month

Family Monitors

Time Required: Up to 3 hours a week.

Family Monitors provide much needed emotional support and befriending to amputees sharing the lived experience they have gained through their own experiences and provide that hope life will settle down one day.

The Training will take place online on one day with 2x 2 hourly sittings with a break in between.

With this level of training, you can host meet up events, join our online coffee catch up, join our phone team and support families at an amber level.  You must complete the online Induction training before attending Family Monitor Training.

Typical Tasks Include:

  • Provide regular, friendly, and person-centered conversations with beneficiaries.
  • You will be matched with people based on their interests and preferences and those living locally for any events you might host.
  • Be an ambassador for Steel Bones Community Culture and embrace all aspects
  • You will have access to the database to log calls and events you lead on.
  • Participating in a one-hour team meeting with wellbeing included.
  • Help raise their spirits or just listen to whomever you are talking with. Remember, you might be the one and only person that they speak with all day, so your support is very much needed.
  • You will focus on everyone’s strengths, helping them to remain connected, feel valued and be more confident.
  • You will use your Steel Bones email address to contact families and teams to ensure no GDPR contraventions.
  • You will be able to access our phone app so you can make calls at no charge to yourself and through our number to protect your own personal details. All these calls are recorded for everyone’s safety.

Events Volunteer

There are 6 National Events a year. The biggest are the Summer Celebration Day with 300 people attending and the Christmas Party with 100 attendees.

Events Volunteers support the Steel Bones Team in creating a warm, welcoming environment for our guests. All are given a role which suits their skills and will help run the event successfully.  Events volunteers maintain a smiley attitude, engage with amputee families, encourage conversation and add to the fun, energetic vibe. Events Volunteers are supported by the Steel Bones Team to develop their skills and experience.

Typical Tasks Include:

  • Welcoming and registering attendees
  • Help with admin of fundraising activities e.g. a raffle or cake sale
  • Photography, refreshments, parking, chill out zone etc
  • Be an ambassador for Steel Bones Community Culture and embrace all aspects
  • Man stands and stalls to promote resources, information and engage with attendees
  • Setup, logistics, practical on-the-day support that make the events happen
  • Energising attendees; celebrating the contribution of attendees

Press & Media Volunteer

Time Required: 1 hour a week

We need someone who loves writing Press releases and has experience engaging with the media to actively build relationships with the Press.

Typical Tasks Include:

  • Regularly monitor press/media for relevant articles/posts etc and file.
  • Drafting promotional copy and press releases
  • Assisting with general Press administration
  • Updating the Press database
  • Raising awareness of Steel Bones and representing Steel Bones in a positive light
  • Be an ambassador for Steel Bones Community Culture and embrace all aspects

Twitter / Instagram Volunteer

Time required: 2 hours a week across the week, so around 20 minutes a day

We need someone who loves Twitter and Instagram to help us engage effectively on these platforms.

Typical Tasks Include:

  • Engaging with followers and the amputee community on Twitter and Instagram e.g. retweeting and commenting
  • Looking at the potential of a Tik Tok channel with Youth Committee
  • Be an ambassador for Steel Bones Community Culture and embrace all aspects
  • Creating post images for social media use
  • Scheduling engaging posts
  • Undergoing an enhanced DBS Check
  • Developing hashtags

School Workshop Volunteer

Time Required: Each school session is 3 hours.  Pre Pandemic, we ran up to 10 events a year, this is slowly building back up.

School Workshop Volunteers support the team in creating an energetic, engaging school workshop. The Workshop Leader (who is an employee of Steel Bones) coordinates team and logistics, communicating the Workshop info sheet with the volunteers.

Typical Tasks Include:

  • Undergoing Enhanced DBS check
  • Sharing experiences as an amputee when children ask questions such as: Do you keep your prosthetic on at night? How does it feel when someone stares at you? How do you access shops? Does it hurt? All training will be given on these to ensure volunteers are fully prepared and to ensure the workshop leader knows which questions they are comfortable with.
  • Be an Ambassador for Steel Bones armed with the latest information on current activities.
  • Communicating and engaging with school children
  • Be an ambassador for Steel Bones Community Culture and embrace all aspects
  • Support the Workshop Leader in logistics and set up
  • Public Speaking

 

Community Fundraising Volunteer

Time required: Activity dependent

Community Fundraising Volunteers support the team in creating fun fundraising activities which involve the wider community. 

Typical Tasks Include:

  • Organising activities such as bingo or quiz night, cake sales, packing bags in supermarkets or bucket shakes. We always love to hear new ideas.
  • Welcome guests and make them feel welcome. Supporting any necessary front of house duties and demonstrating good customer service skills
  • Working as part of a team
  • Admin and set up needs
  • Be an ambassador for Steel Bones Community Culture and embrace all aspects
  • Be an Ambassador for Steel Bones armed with the latest information on current activities

All volunteers must attend an online induction which lasts around 2 hours.
There is some additional training for some roles requiring
extended safeguarding and confidentiality knowledge.

To express your interest, contact Rachel at rachel@steelbone.co.uk for more information

Join us in making a tangible difference in the lives of amputee families.
Your time, skills, and passion can help create
a more inclusive and supportive community.

Telephone

03333 606930

Address

c/o The Beeches
32 Mill Street
Isleham
Cambs CB7 5RY

Email

hello@steelbone.co.uk

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If you need some urgent help or support,
please ring the team on 03333 606930

 

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