How you can help
Volunteering hub
This is the place to start Volunteering. Volunteers play a vital role in the work and services of Rowan Alba. From Board members to Support Workers, we rely on the vital work of our Volunteers.Â
What you can expect from volunteering for Rowan AlbaÂ
Rowan Alba has peer support and personal development at the heart of our services whether you are a staff member or a volunteer. Many of our permanent staff started as volunteers and made the transition over time to paid work. Working for Rowan Alba is not the only goal we can help you achieve. The unique experiences gained from Rowan Alba have benefited people from all kinds of backgrounds.
What kind of volunteer are you?
It takes all kinds of volunteers to make Rowan Alba work.
All people are different and you need the right kind of volunteering role to suit you.Â
Activity
Are you the one who always the game of Monopoly going at the family party?
Our Residential Service Volunteers like Claire are essential to our tenants. They help them build positive habits and social interactions in their daily lives. This volunteering role can give you valuable experience in a broad range of areas.
Befriender
Are you the kind of person who enjoys a chat and values building friendships?
Paul started as a befriender with our CARDS service, visiting people in their homes for an hour a week. This volunteering experience lead on to Paul becoming a Support Worker at our Thorntree St. Homes-for-life centre.Â
Board member
Do you have a wealth of experience and want to make an impact on homelessness?
Our Board members give us their skills and knowledge to make us the most effective service we can be. Bill has enjoyed a long career in HR and is passionate about helping us create real solutions to homelessness.
Volunteering Opportunities
Volunteers are a vital part of the work that Rowan Alba does. We are committed to the development of our volunteers and the quality of the experiences they get with us. All areas of Rowan Alba who need volunteering help will list their descriptions on this page. You can also keep up to date through our social media channels.
Volunteer Befriender, CARDS
When you volunteer for CARDS you can end the isolation of someone who has a problematic relationship with alcohol.
All you need to do is have a regular conversation. As you talk, you might also learn alot about yourself from them.
Volunteering for CARDS can open up many new skills and opportunities. Through our excellent training resources, we will prepare you for volunteering so that you will feel safe and supported at all times.
The experience you will gain during your volunteering could be the to start of an important new journey in your life and the life of the person you will befriend.
About CARDS
Community Alcohol Related Damages Service, CARDS for short, is a befriending service run by Rowan Alba. Health care specialists, GP’s, hospitals and mental health services refer people to our service. These people, for various reasons have become isolated and have developed a problematic relationship with alcohol. Simply just having someone to talk to could make a big difference to them.
About Rowan Alba
Rowan Alba Limited is a charity set up to work with people who are at risk of becoming homeless. We believe that all individuals have the right to be treated with dignity and respect. We offer support in a person-centred way, with the individual actively involved in planning their own care.
Experience Required
The most important thing you can bring to CARDS is to be able to listen without judgement and understand the benefit of human contact.
You will also need to understand or have compassion towards people who have had a difficult relationship with alcohol now or in the past. If you have had experience in a role where managing relationships is key it’s beneficial, but not essential.
We specifically welcome people to our team who bring their own experiences of alcohol harm. Half our staff team have expert lived experience and we simply could not provide and develop our service without it. Some organisations chose to group people in to categories of Peer and Non Peer. We just like having lots of people that do a good job and want to move away from the labelling.
Training Details
For full details of our application process, please follow this link: https://rowanalba.org/volunteering-for-cards/
Flexibility & Commitment
Flexible
We ask that you prepare to spend the first two months joining the team and doing the necessary admin including your application to join the PVG scheme. Only after this would you be introduced to someone and start to form a relationship. It is not possible to be fully operational and offer a good service with a time commitment of less than 1 year.
Location/Travel Details
Our head office is situated at Fountainbridge however we are operating from home with limited meetings as a team in different locations. The recruitment and induction process will take place online and then you will progress to either telephone calls with the individual you will be working with or begin the double visits with our excellent team of experienced staff. You will be required to travel to and from your appointments which will be in the individuals own home or in a local cafe or community setting.
Expenses
Email or hand in an expenses form and paid on the 20th of each month. Arrangements can be made to support with advance payments if this is helpful or would otherwise prevent you from volunteering.
Accessibility Details
If you have any accessibility needs we are happy to discuss them and how they can be accommodated during your volunteering.
How you apply
If you are interested in this volunteering role, download and complete our Application Form at the link below. Once you have completed the form, please email it to at cards@rowanalba.org
We recommend you read the Person Specification and Role description before you complete the application form.
If you have any questions about volunteering or the application process, please email our cards@rowanalba.org
For full details of our application process and lots more information about volunteering, please follow this link: