ALL YOU NEEDALL YOU NEEDTO KNOWTO KNOW

ABOUTABOUT

HANDS&

GILLINGHAMVOLUNTEER

CENTRE

Cranford House24a Longley Road

RainhamKent

ME8 7RU

The beginning

Hands was formed in 1969 as a ‘goodneighbours scheme’. Initially based inStrood it quickly developed to cover thewhole of Medway under two differentoffices. Later Gillingham Hands took onthe duties of a Volunteer Bureau andbecame a registered charity.

Hands provides direct services whilst theVolunteer Bureau (which became knownas a Centre in 2008) provides support,advice and guidance on all aspects ofvoluntary work and development

Aims and objectives

Hands provides practical help throughoutthe community in Gillingham and Rainhamby the use of a dedicated team ofvolunteers. Hands regularly undertakescommunity transport, gardening andbefriending for elderly, disabled or infirmpeople.

The Volunteer Centre actively supportsthe ongoing development and theexpansion of all aspects of voluntary workand is involved in promoting publicawareness and appreciation of thecontinuing need for the voluntary sector.

How does it work?

Hands & Gillingham Volunteer Centrehas a Management Committee whichdecides and implements the overall aimsand objectives of the organisation.

The Centre Manager deals with theday-to-day administration andco-ordination of the needs of the Centre,its volunteers and clients.

Requests for direct services are takenby our office staff, either voluntary orpaid, and every effort is made to assist.

Hands & Gillingham Volunteer Centreworks closely with the statutory bodies,such as Social Services, local HealthAuthorities and Medway Council, as wellas other local and national charities, inorder to provide a wide range ofservices to the community.

The Volunteer Centre responds to needsand so offers special projects. TheCommunity Friendship Scheme,supports people who have becomeisolated, to enable them to work throughtheir difficulties and get back into thecommunity. Likewise, the Centre offersfree ESOL training for people who havecome from other countries and want tovolunteer or find work and may need toimprove their English.

Voluntary workers

People from all walks of life canbenefit from volunteering andeveryone has something to offer, evenif only for an hour a week.

Gillingham Volunteer Centre recruitsvolunteers by local advertising,publicity and word of mouth.

Volunteers are interviewed on aone-to-one basis, and asked tocomplete a skills register before beingreferred to one or more of the manylocal organisations, including Hands,our own direct services.

Volunteers records and allinformation is kept strictlyconfidential.

All volunteers will be supported intheir placement to ensure that theyare enjoying the experience.

The Volunteer Centre operates anEqual Opportunities Policy, aVulnerable Adults Policy, and followsstrict Health & Safety Guidelines. TheCentre has also achieved PQASSOand Volunteering England qualitystandards and carries out RiskAssessments and CRB checks, whereappropriate.

Funding

Hands & Gillingham Volunteer Centrerelies primarily on grants

and donations to finance itsadministration and running costs.

Volunteer expenses are alwaysreimbursed, usually by the client

but in exceptional circumstances fromour own limited funds

Management

Hands & Gillingham Volunteer Centreis a Registered Charity No. 290169

and is a fully accredited member ofVolunteering England.

It is managed by aBoard of Trustees,

who are themselves volunteers.

HANDS&

GILLINGHAMVOLUNTEER CENTRE

Cranford House24a Longley Road

RainhamKent

ME8 7RUE-mail: enquiries@gillinghamvolunteercentre.com

Website: www.gillinghamvolunteercentre.com

GILLINGHAMVOLUNTEER CENTRETelephone: (01634) 362119

Fax: (01634) 264464Office Hours:

Monday - Thursday: 9.00am - 4.30pm,

Friday: 9.00am - 4.00pm

(Please be aware that from 1.00pm onwards staff may

be undertaking duties out of the office.)

HANDS TRANSPORTTelephone: (01634) 264464

(24 hour answerphone)Office Hours: 9.30am - 12.30pm

(Mon - Fri)

Hands & Gillingham Volunteer Centreis a Registered Charity No 290169 and is

Quality Accredited by Volunteering England

Hands & Gillingham Volunteer Centre gratefully acknowledgesfinancial support from several grant-making organisations,

including Medway Council, SEEDA and Awards For All.