Adopt a football team or share your digital skills: volunteering opportunities for Sandwell businesses

25th May 2021

If your organisation is looking for promotional opportunities, ways to give back to the community, team bonding experiences or activities to build employees’ confidence and skills, then volunteering could be the answer.

The ‘Let’s Go’ website helps individuals and businesses find opportunities to volunteer in Sandwell, while giving local organisations a platform to share their support requirements. Let’s Go focuses on making Sandwell a better place for all, reflecting the positivity, warmth and cultural diversity of our borough.

Let’s Go is hosted by SCVO, the support organisation for the voluntary and community sector in Sandwell. SCVO manages the website, ensuring the information is as accurate, up to date and as helpful as possible. Local organisations are encouraged to pass on any opportunities they have for people to help out, either on their own or as part of a team.

Team challenges

Kim Fuller is Growing Participation and Volunteering Mentor at SCVO. She explained how the team volunteering aspect of Let’s Go could benefit Sandwell businesses.

“Let’s Go lists all kinds of opportunities, including team challenges – a way for local organisations to build rapport among their staff while raising funds for charity, boosting awareness of specific causes, and giving back to the community,” she said. “And it’s not just about ‘giving back’, of course, but feeling good about supporting others and feeling connected to where we live.

“The traditional idea of corporate volunteering is to help establish a community garden, or paint a wall! Those kind of opportunities are very worthwhile and they’re available here too, but we’re also encouraging organisations to think differently about the support they could offer. Could an office-based business where staff are on phones most of the day commit a little time each week to checking in on elderly residents? There are even opportunities to work with a grassroots football team, helping not just with coaching but PR, first aid, education and so on.

“We hope the variety of opportunities on the website shows that volunteering doesn’t need to take up lots of your time or require a long-term commitment – although there are opportunities to develop longer term working relationships too”.

The team challenges include physical tasks, outdoor events, things you can do from the comfort of your desk, face to face support, and children’s activities.

You can walk, garden, shop, go to the gym, event plan, raise awareness through social media, talk, listen, litter-pick, write, take photos or, yes, even adopt a football team. The volunteering possibilities are endless.

Here’s a small selection of the activities you and your employees could take part in:

Get outdoors

Love where you live and adopt a street – help keep Sandwell looking clean and tidy, while doing your bit for the environment.

Talk and walk for wellbeing – mobilise and connect people to make informed choices that help them to flourish in the way they want by leading a ‘Talk and Walk’ activity.

Maintain a much-loved garden to support children’s play – the children of Two Steps pre-school spend hours playing outside and need helpful helpers to join in the fun: planting, weeding and pruning.

Join Groundwork West Midlands – make a difference to local wildlife, green spaces and community through practical volunteering opportunities with local Friends of Park groups. Activities include habitat management, gardening, event planning, wildlife photography, social media and more. This opportunity is for 11-25 year olds.

Get creative

Raise vital funds for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC) – find creative ways to work as a team and raise much-needed funds for MAAC.

Raise awareness of ovarian cancer – help women get an earlier diagnosis and better outcomes by raising awareness with local businesses and community groups.

Promote positive mental health and wellbeing – spread the word about the Kaleidoscope Plus Group, a charity that champions change, promotes positive mental health and wellbeing, and delivers valuable services to the local community. It needs digital champions, event planners and fundraisers.

Help build better futures for blind children – Royal Society for Blind Children is looking to recruit dedicated individuals to volunteer in the local community. Volunteer as a champion and promote RSBC’s work through schools, local clubs, community groups or workplaces. Or be a fundraiser and raise vital funds through an online or in-person fundraising campaign or challenge.

Practical skills

Be a friendly guide for a visually impaired person – Sandwell Visually Impaired CIO is looking for helpers to support a blind or visually impaired person to get out and about, enjoy everyday activities and have fun.

Deliver shopping to elderly and vulnerable people – Life in Community CIC needs volunteers to collect shopping orders for elderly or vulnerable residents in Tipton.

Challenge loneliness – Omega Chatterbox is looking for volunteers to call an allocated elderly client once a week to offer a listening ear and chat with people who otherwise might go unheard.

Help local parents with breastfeeding support – Breastfeeding Network Sandwell is looking for mothers who have breastfed to train to support other local moms.

Digital skills

Share your favourite Sandwell walks in pictures and words – Sandwell Council’s Public Health team is looking for people to help others enjoy Sandwell parks, canals and open spaces by sharing their favourite walk with pictures on a new app.

Spruce up a website – As LGBT+ Sparkle group develops across the Black Country it needs to improve its web content and keep its website site updated.

Support older people taking their first digital steps – Age UK Sandwell’s Stepping Into Digital service provides the first step into using the internet and devices such as laptops and tablets. Digital Champion volunteers are needed to provide IT support and guidance to older people in Sandwell.

Become an IT/digital technology tutor – African French Speaking Community Support is looking for experienced IT or digital technology tutors to support people to learn basic skills in using computers and going online.

Get active

Coach a football team – or be part of its ‘family’ – As well as looking for coaches to run its football teams, Black Country Fusion FC is seeking people to help with first aid, physio, media, and education in topics such as discrimination.

Make a difference to veterans’ lives – Stepway is looking for volunteers to support all activities and to help with fundraising for its new wellbeing centre opening in Oldbury, offering a drop-in service, outdoor projects, therapy unit and various courses.

Be part of a new ‘Play Plot’ scheme – Dorothy Parkes Centre is inviting parents, carers and other adults to become part of a trained team of volunteers hosting outdoor play and allotment-related activities for young children.

SCVO offers information, guidance and other support to any Sandwell organisation wishing to involve volunteers. Further details about SCVO and the support offer can be found at www.scvo.info. For more information about the Let’s Go website (www.letsgosandwell.info) and how to get activities listed please contact getinvolved@scvo.info.

Tell us your stories about volunteering in Sandwell! Contact the Sandwell Business Ambassadors today.