VOLUNTEERING DURING COVID-19
There are still plenty of ways to volunteer despite the Covid-19 restrictions, whether you’re in Durham or at home. Here are our current initiatives you can get involved with:
1. County Durham Mutual Aid
If you are still in Durham and would like to help during this crisis, we recommend that you join the County Durham Mutual Aid Facebook group which can be found by clicking here. If you are no longer in Durham it is very likely that your hometown will have a similar mutual aid group.
2. Online Tutoring
DUSVO have established a new online tutoring programme to support multiple families who are now having to tutor their children at home. We are looking for tutors in a variety of different subjects, including instruments and languages. If you would like to take part in this programme, please email Emily on student.volunteering@durham.ac.uk with the subjects and ages (from primary to sixth form) that you’d be comfortable tutoring.
3. Pen-pal Initiative
If you’ve been feeling creative recently, please send us scans or photos of your poems/ sketches/ paintings etc.
These will be distributed to care homes in County Durham with the aim of spreading a little joy and happiness, and to let our elderly community know they are not forgotten about. Feel free to add a little personal note.
Email: inclusive.outreach@durham.ac.uk.
4. New project: Girls Friendly Society
We have a new and exciting volunteering opportunity to share with you! The national organisation ‘Girls Friendly Society’ is looking for positive role models to lead online group activity sessions for girls and young women aimed at developing confidence, self-esteem, emotional wellbeing and resilience.
They are also welcoming volunteers to support with the development of their new online content.
For more information about this wonderful organisation visit www.girlsfriendlysociety.org.uk/what-we-do/
We are recruiting and interviewing for both Project Leaders and volunteers for this project; all training will be provided.
Please contact student.volunteering@durham.ac.uk for more information or to apply.
5. New project: Activity packs for prisons
We are looking for volunteers to help create activity packs for the young men at HMYOI Deerbolt to keep them busy and engaged in learning during COVID19.
This could include puzzles, quizzes, suduko and colouring as distraction activities to keep them occupied . If you have any that you have been doing please email them across.
It would also be good to have some topic related work sheets – 1 or 2 pages with some activities at a level suitable for teenagers . For example it could be a fact sheet on the solar system or the environment to build on work they have already done.
To submit items for activity packs or if you have any questions, please email student.volunteering@durham.ac.uk
6. Other ways to make a difference
Sign up to a donor register, such as:
Do a litter pick on your next walk. Take a rubbish bag with you and do your bit for the environment by collecting litter for responsible disposal.
Sign up to be a Red Cross community reserve volunteer, to help your community get back on track in the event of a major local emergency.
Sign up to the Be My Eyes app. It’s a free app that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers for visual assistance through a live video call.
Become an Age UK Digital Buddy to inspire older people in your community to make the most of technology.