Volunteering at The DP-EVH

COME AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Being a volunteer can be incredibly rewarding and make a difference to your life as well as the lives of others.

Volunteering can help build new skills and increase self-confidence and is a very good way of gaining experience as an extra part to your C.V.. Many of our volunteers use this experience to their advantage when looking for paid employment.

As a charitable organisation working in the voluntary sector, The Disabled People's Electronic Village Hall relies on volunteers for its very existence.

Why volunteer?

• Get out of the house
• Get to know other people within the community
• Put something back into the community
• Improve chances of future employment
• Gain new skills
• Make new friends
• Build self-esteem
• check out a possible career change

Within our organisation there are many problems with learning, dependent on the students' ability. The volunteer can support the tutor by spending time with student/s who need extra assistance or encouragement.

"I can help others to improve their skills and gain confidence in their abilities, whilst continuing to add to my knowledge as well"

Keith Bradley

Wherever we can, we use home grown volunteers but there is always room for any volunteer who has good IT knowledge, or who just wishes to help others learn. The DP-EVH likes to invest in their workers, therefore volunteers will have the same opportunities as our students and can learn IT skills themselves.

The rewards

• Learn new things
• Gain work experience
• Develop priorities
• Feel good about yourself and others
• Develop personal growth and spiritual fulfillment

See our volunteering leaflet in PDF format.

Volunteering and State Benefits

There is a lot of confusion over whether volunteering affects an individual's benefits. In fact the rules are quite simple.

Definition of voluntary work
All benefits rulings agree that voluntary work is work for a not for profit organisation, or work for someone who is not a member of your family, where only reasonable expenses are paid.

Job seeker's allowance
People on JSA can do as much voluntary work as they want as long as they continue to actively seek work

Income support
Volunteering should not affect someone's Income Support as long as they are not receiving any money other than reimbursement of expenses/incapacity benefit.

Therapeutic Earnings
Occasionally there is confusion about volunteering and 'therapeutic earnings'. The therapeutics earnings rule applies only to paid work and should not affect volunteers.

Incapacity Benefit
If you are in receipt of Incapacity Benefit then you can volunteer for as long as you want.

Carer's allowance
Entitlement to Carer's Allowance will not be affected by volunteering unless it prevents a person from providing care for at least 35 hours each week.

This information is correct as of 07/03/2011.

For more information on volunteering and the affect on individual benefits see the Volunteering while on benefits leaflet

If you would like to become a volunteer, please contact the DP-EVH on 01924 453502 or click the button below and complete the online form.

See volunteers job description