The qualities you will need
You must be at least 18 years old. Experience of working with homeless people is not essential, but you must have empathy and a non-judgmental attitude and be prepared to be flexible. Reliability and good timekeeping are important.
The Passage is a Christian organisation. It is not a requirement that volunteers also be of the Christian faith, but you must be able to work within, and respect, this ethos. |
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Please note that we conduct a selection procedure for volunteers, and all who apply to help are not necessarily selected.
What we are looking for
A commitment of one session or day (depending on role) a week for a minimum of one month (again, depending on role). You will need to respect professional boundaries between yourself and clients and, depending on your role, have respect for client confidentiality. You will be asked to provide the names and addresses of two referees. These need not be professional, but must not be members of your family. Someone who knows you well will suffice.
What you can expect
This will depend on the role. If volunteering in the catering area, you can expect an induction into the role and work area, and the support of staff and other volunteers on a daily basis. There is a daily de-brief at the end of the day and the team leader and volunteer supervisor are available if you have any problems or queries. Other roles may include appropriate specialist training and support from the relevant team leader or member of staff. On completion of the minimum time requirement, a reference for employment or academic purposes is available upon request.
What next?
The day centre and Passage House both constantly need volunteers. Please read through the rest of this pack and think about what you would like to do. You may not wish to be involved with the clients on a one-to-one basis but to work behind the scenes. You may wish to use skills you already have, or to learn new ones. It may be that you have some time on your hands and wish to help out, or you are looking at volunteering as a way to gain experience for future work. Once you have decided, please fill in the application form provided and return it to the volunteer co-ordinator.
Transport/parking
The Passage day centre is five minutes' walk from Victoria Station for underground and trains, and is served by many buses. There is no parking available. Passage House is approximately 5 minutes' walk from Victoria Station, and again there is no parking available.
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In 2005 The Passage celebrated the 25th anniversary of its foundation by Cardinal Basil Hume and the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul.
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The 2007 Night Under the Stars
concert was on 7 November. Last years concert
raised another £100,000 for the Passage. |
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