[00:57.21]Good evening, everyone.
[00:59.07]Let me start by welcoming you all to this talk and thanking you for taking the time to consider joining ACE voluntary organisation.
[01:08.73]ACE offers support to people and services in the local area and we're now looking for more volunteers to help us do this.
[01:18.39]By the way, I hope you're all comfortable - we have brought in extra seats so that no one has to stand, but it does mean that the people at the back of the room may be a bit squashed.
[01:29.72]We'll only be here for about half an hour so, hopefully, that's OK.
[01:34.92]One of the first questions we're often asked is how old you need to be to volunteer.
[01:41.23]Well, you can be as young as 16 or you can be r over; it all depends on what type of voluntary work you want to do.
[01:50.89]Other considerations, such as reliability, are crucial in voluntary work and age isn't related to these, in our experience.
[02:01.41]Another question we get asked relates to training.
[02:05.31]Well, there's plenty of that and it's all face-to-face.
[02:10.14]What's more, training doesn't end when you start working for us — it takes place before, during and after periods of work.
[02:19.25]Often, it's run by other experienced volunteers as managers tend to prefer to get on with other things.
[02:27.42]Now, I would ask you to consider a couple of important issues before you decide to apply for voluntary work.
[02:35.04]We don't worry about why you want to be a volunteer — people have many different reasons that range from getting work experience to just doing something they've always wanted to do.
[02:47.67]But it is critical that you have enough hours in the day for whatever role we agree is Suitable for you — if being a volunteer becomes stressful then it's best not to do it at all.
[03:01.04]You may think that your income is important, but we don't ask about that.
[03:06.06]It's up to you to decide if you can work without earning money.
[03:10.14]What we value is dedication.
[03:13.30]Some of our most loyal volunteers earn very little themselves but still give their full energy to the work they do with us.
[04:02.34]OK, so let's take a look at some of the work areas that we need volunteers for and the sort of things that would help you in those.
[04:11.07]You may wish simply to help us raise money.
[04:14.23]If you have the creativity to come up with an imaginative or novel way of fundraising, we'd be delighted, as standing in the local streets or shops with a collection box can be rather boring!
[04:29.28]One outdoor activity that we need volunteers for is litter collection and for this it's useful if you can walk for long periods.,sometimes uphill.
[04:41.17]Some of our regular collectors are quite elderly, but very active and keen to protect the environment.
[04:49.15]If you enjoy working with children, we have three vacancies for what are called ‘playmates’.
[04:55.84]These volunteers help children learn about staying healthy through a range of out-of-school activities.
[05:02.90]You don't need to have children yourself, but it's good if you know something about nutrition and can give clear instructions.
[05:12.56]If that doesn't appeal to you, maybe you would be interested in helping out at our story club for disabled children, especially if you have done some acting.
[05:23.33]We put on three performances a year based on books they have read and we're always looking for support with the theatrical side of this.
[05:33.36]The last area I'll mention today is first aid.
[05:37.45]Volunteers who join this group can end up teaching others in vulnerable groups who may be at risk of injury.
[05:44.70]Initially, though, your priority will be to take in a lot of information and not forget any important steps or details.
[05:54.54]Right, so does anyone have any questions ...
