Side by Side is our fun, friendly, super-flexible volunteering opportunity for someone like you to help someone with dementia. Just because a person is diagnosed with dementia, it doesn’t mean they stop wanting to take part in their favourite activities.
Our Side by Side service helps people with dementia to keep on doing the things they love and try new things – from going to the football to catching the latest movie – so they can continue to lead an independent life.
As a Side by Side volunteer you will enable someone with dementia to be able to keep doing the things they love, to stay connected to their local community and to build the confidence to stay active and engaged in social and recreational activities.
What is Side by Side?
A splash in the pool, a mooch around the shops, a catch-up over coffee or supporting a person with dementia to volunteer themselves. Whatever they’d like to do, together you decide where and when.
One thing you can be sure of is bringing a lot of joy into someone’s life. There are nearly 1,000 people waiting for volunteers right now, so whatever your interests we need people like you.
You can volunteer on weekdays, evenings, weekends and even over the phone. It’s a super-flexible way to give your time and it will make a difference to someone’s life.
You need to be 16 years-old or older to sign up, and we’ll provide you with all the training and support you need. Why not try one of the following?
Face-to-face: As a face-to-face volunteer you can go wherever your shared interests take you – whether it’s a local garden centre, museum or café! It’s up to the both of you. Meeting in-person helps build familiarity, while people with dementia can still do the things they love.
Telephone: You can also volunteer over the phone, either from your home or your local Alzheimer’s Society office. A friendly chat with a familiar voice can be a great source of comfort so is a great option if you’re not able to travel and meet face-to-face.
Hospital: By volunteering at your local hospital you will provide invaluable face-to-face support to patients with dementia during their hospital stay. Get involved Become a Side by Side volunteer today – a couple of hours a week is all it takes.
You will visit someone with dementia on a weekly or fortnightly basis and take part in activities you share an interest with them to help them to keep doing the things they love – or pick up new ones! Find out more here or call Jane on 01296 331 722.
Are you warm and patient? Could you support people with learning disabilities, helping them live more independently?
MacIntyre is an award winning national charity supporting people with learning disabilities. Our core belief is that everyone has potential, something to offer and a valuable contribution to make to their community.
MacIntyre have vacancies for support workers in various areas of Milton Keynes area:
Support Worker – part-time, 15hrs per week Milton Keynes £8.55 an hour We are looking for part-time Support Workers, (weekends only) to join the teams within our Milton Keynes area – where we support adults who have a learning disability. Find out more
Support Worker – Full or Part time Milton Keynes (Emerson Valley) £8.55 We are seeking experienced and non experienced Support Workers (full or part time) for our supported living service in Milton Keynes. Find out more
Support Worker Part Time (FEMALE ONLY) Milton Keynes – Bradville £8.55 an hour We have vacancies for a part-time Support Worker at one of our Supported Living services in the Bradville area of Milton Keynes. This position is for 23 hours per week. Find out more
As a volunteer you can be part of the team that saves lives, whether it’s helping people in the community, providing first aid at events, or supporting the NHS.
Youth Helpers work flexibly as part of our volunteer youth teams and are advised to liaise directly with their Unit Manager/Unit Youth Lead to design the scope of their role and allocate their responsibilities within the unit. For instance, Youth Helpers may be involved in helping to facilitate and run games, activities, and sessions within our Badger Setts and Cadet Units. This may include supporting our young people directly or participating in administration and support tasks to ensure the efficient running of the unit.
Whatever your reason for getting involved, we have the volunteer role to suit you and all the support you need.
Unfortunately we are unable to support work experience placements at this time.
How we’ll support you
Our volunteers take on a lot of responsibility. That’s why we’ll support you every step of the way.
We do this in a number of ways, such as:
providing you with all the training you need to excel in your role
opportunities to progress and develop as a volunteer
make sure you have local support and a point of contact
access to our intranet (Connect) which has plenty of resources to help you in your role and help you connect with a network of volunteers across the country
reimburse any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses
the opportunity to express your views and contribute your ideas about how St John Ambulance can improve
5th July: Community Action: MK Summer Networking event
Join Community Action: MK and other colleagues from the Voluntary and Community Sector in Milton Keynes at our Summer Networking/ Netwalking event, which will be dedicated to the topic of the growth of Milton Keynnes. The event will include a walking tour (optional to join) of some of the planned development areas in the city centre, ending up at Middleton Hall for the Milton Keynes: A Journey to 2050exhibition and talks.
Milton Keynes: A Journey to 2050 is a four-day exhibition being held in the heart of the borough to give everyone the opportunity to come and see what the future plans are for Milton Keynes.
The event’s emphasis will be around attracting, recruiting, retaining and developing all staff with a focus on those with health conditions and disabilities. Come and meet other employers who will share their experiences and also find out what other support is available. REGISTER HERE
Mental Health First Aider Course (MHFA) Milton Keynes
3rd & 4th July 2019 (09:30-17:00)
This is the official two day MHFA Enlgland mental health first aid course acredited by the Royal Socety for Public Health qualifies you as a Mental Health First Aider. Learning takes place through a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities and each session is built around a Mental Health First Aid Action Plan. Visit www.transpiretraining.com for more info.
Early Help Strategy Consultation
Milton Keynes Safeguarding Board and the Milton Keynes Safeguarding Board Children’s Partnership have been working on an Early Help Strategy 2019-22 for Milton Keynes, and are inviting local groups to submit their comments.
Deadline for submitting feedback and comments: Monday 8th July.
In June 2019, Lavendon Parish Council submitted the final version of its Neighbourhood Plan to Milton Keynes Council. The Plan is now being published in accordance with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Plans (General) Regulations 2012. This is the final stage to make comments on the Plan.
Any comments on the Plan at this stage (including those from members of the public and other organisations) will be passed to an independent person (the Examiner) to consider when he or she is examining the Plan. The Examiner will consider whether the Plan:
Meets a number of basic conditions
Satisfies the legal requirements for neighbourhood plans, and
Vital Signs MK 2019 is the latest instalment of a project that the Milton Keynes Community Foundation has run since 2013. The reports bring together existing research and social data about Milton Keynes with an aim of highlighting the strengths, as well as identify areas for improvement for the local community to respond to, including the Voluntary, Community and Cultural Sector, as well as local businesses and individuals who want to help make a difference in the Milton Keynes community.
Here at Community Action: MK we will be supporting this year’s Vital Signs community consultation programme by running two focus groups:on Friday 12th July: at 11am and 2pm. If you would like to participate in on of the focus groups and share your views towards this year’s Vital Signs report, please follow this link to express your interest.
Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided. Once you have registered your interest, you will receive more information asap.
Help with applying to the EU Settlement Scheme
East European Resource Centre is pleased to announce that we have received government funding until March 2020 to provide support to vulnerable Eastern European citizens applying to the EU Settlement Scheme
EU citizens and their family members can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after after the UK leaves the EU.
Our new service – Eastern European EUSS Centre (238-246 King Street, London W6 0RF) is now open for drop-ins Tuesday to Saturday 11.30am – 13.30pm (last client at 13.00pm) and 14.30pm – 18.30pm (last client at 18.00pm).
We are also providing outreach sessions and workshops for vulnerable Eastern European citizens to explain the EU Settlement Scheme and help to apply for EUSS – if you would like us to visit your service please get in touch with me or at euss@eerc.org.uk.
Our help is free and we speak Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian and Hungarian.
For further information about our service, please refer to the flyer or visit our website.
MK Calling – Open call to exhibit at MK Gallery
Artists working across all art forms are invited to take over MK Gallery! Applications welcome from all, especially from artists connected to Milton Keynes in particular.
If you work or volunteer for a local group or organisation in Milton Keynes or have an interesting project going in your community and have news to share, please feel free to get in touch with us. You can e-mail your updates to support@communityactionmk.org. To receive our weekly newsletter and other updates and news about the Voluntary and Community Sector in Milton Keynes, please follow this link.
Volunteering opportunity of the week: St John’s Ambulance Youth Team
Youth Helpers work flexibly as part of our volunteer youth teams and are advised to liaise directly with their Unit Manager/Unit Youth Lead to design the scope of their role and allocate their responsibilities within the unit. For instance, Youth Helpers may be involved in helping to facilitate and run games, activities, and sessions within our Badger Setts and Cadet Units. This may include supporting our young people directly or participating in administration and support tasks to ensure the efficient running of the unit. Find out more about this role here Search for other volunteering opportunities with St Johns Ambulance
MK Snap Job vacancies – Various Roles
MK Snap are looking for Trustees, Learning Support Assistants, Tutor, Head of Social Enterprise and more. Find out more here
Max. Value: £ 50,000 Grants are available to not-for-profit organisations in England that are developing cycling activity in their community for the development of new, or the improvement of existing, cycling facilities in communities.
Application deadline: 16 August 2019 Grants are available for registered charities carrying out housing projects providing homes for those in need in Great Britain.
Max. Value: £ 5,000 Grants are available for local residents, charities, community and voluntary groups, schools and statutory agencies in England for projects that target illegal money lending
Transition Town Milton Keynes film night- 15th July
Transition Town Milton Keynes invite you to their next film night. 15 July 19:00-21:30
Fundraising Regulator reveals brand new Code of Fundraising Practice
The Fundraising Regulator has launched a “new and improved” Code of Fundraising Practice which will come into effect in October 2019. The changes are said to be designed to make it easier for fundraisers, charities and third-party organisations to understand the standards expected of them when fundraising. The regulator added the new code is also easier for the public to navigate, so that they know what to expect from ethical fundraising. Read more
Room for improvement in workplace volunteering, new research finds
The experiences of people who give their time through employer-organised or employer-supported activities, known as employer-supporter volunteering (ESV), are positive but “lag behind those who arrange their own volunteering”, a new report from NCVO finds. Read more
If you work or volunteer for a local group or organisation in Milton Keynes or have an interesting project going in your community and have news to share, please feel free to get in touch with us. You can e-mail your updates to support@communityactionmk.org. To receive our weekly newsletter and other updates and news about the Voluntary and Community Sector in Milton Keynes, please follow this link.
Nominate your women leaders
This year’s Women Leaders prestigious awards event will take place at the Double Tree Hilton in Milton Keynes on Friday 11th October 2019. It’s time to nominate the talented, dedicated and inspiring women that you would like to celebrate. Find out more
Volunteers Week 2019: Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who participated in Volunteers Week 2019! It was a fantastic week and a great to chance to celebrate and say thank you for the fantastic contributions of volunteers in Milton Keynes. Keep an eye on our website for an update from our activities of the week.
Volunteering opportunity of the week
Thames Valley Partnership: Project Crisis & Support Coordinator (Bucks)
Role: To provide prevention, intervention and crisis support to anyone who is/has experienced, or is deemed to be at risk of, any form of exploitation (e.g. modern slavery, criminal, financial) and those with complex needs. The post holder will identify and engage with these individuals on a one-to-one basis, enabling them to access services and make positive, empowering choices to change their lives.
Closing date for applications: 26th June at at 8am Interviews will be held on: 1st July 2019 at the Partnership offices (Aston Sandford, Bucks HP17 8JB)
A full Job Description and Application Form can be download from the Partnership website at: www.thamesvalleypartnership.org.uk. Please note that applications will only be put forward for consideration if they are submitted on the Application Form supplied.
YMCA: Various Roles
In Autumn 2019, YMCA are launching a brand new campus in the centre of Milton Keynes which will provide homes to two hundred young people. We aim to support 75 young people each year out of homelessness and we will be helping 75 young people each year to move on, having secured a job and a new home.
Employment Manager: Salary £30,000 Deadline for Application: 28 June Interview date: 12 July
The Employment Manager will oversee a team of staff who will be focussed on delivering employment related support to our residents, as well as developing relationships with employers and training providers in Milton Keynes. Find out more
Activities Coordinator: Salary £23 – £25,000 depending on experience Deadline for Application: 28 June Interview Date: 19 July
We need someone who can lead on a range of engaging activities that make the YMCA a vibrant place to live and to build up the confidence of our young people. It’s key that the post holder is able offer a varied programme of skills that collaborate with other areas of life including volunteering opportunities, independent living skills and a range of health & wellbeing activities. Find out more
Hostel Manager: Salary £32,500 Deadline for Application: 28 June Interview Date: 9 July
The Hostel Manager oversees a team of hostel support workers in our Stage 1 accommodation. The priority is the wellbeing and support of the residents, who have often faced homelessness, family or relationship breakdown, or trauma. Find out more
The Scouts: Various Roles
Growth and Development Officer, South of England
An exciting opportunity to join a dynamic team working to create opportunities for more people to join the largest youth organisation in the county. Engaging with communities and young people to help set up new Scout groups, you will also support new and existing volunteers through workshops, one to one inductions and training across the South of England. Contributing to the Growth strand of the Skills For Life organisational strategy, this is a great time to be joining The Scouts!
FTC until Sept 2020. We foresee the successful candidate living in Avon/ Gloucester/ Wiltshire area in order to respond to our current project demand, but the role will require regular travel beyond this geography.: https://scouts.org.uk/about-us/jobs/growth-development-officer-south/
Nesta has just launched the EdTech Innovation Fund as part of a new £4.6 million programme, in partnership with the Department for Education. We’d like to transform the UK education system through better use of tech in schools and colleges. We are now looking for 20 organisations to apply for grants of up to £100,000 to improve, evaluate and grow the reach of digital tools across four challenge areas. Find out more
Max. Value: £ 30,000 Cancer care: Applications should be submitted from June and by 31 AUGUST at the latest.
Grants are available to UK registered charities for activities in the UK that fall within the following categories: care of and services for blind people; long-term care of people with learning disabilities; and care of and services for people suffering from cancer. Find out more
Grants are available for local voluntary organisations to support vulnerable children and young people (aged 8-14 years) in London, Birmingham, and the South of England to develop the life skills they need to thrive and make positive life choices. Find out more
Big Lunch at Conniburrow Orchard
Come and join us for our Big Lunch in Conniburrow. Saturday 29th June 1pm, please bring your own lunch or a dish to share.
Charity Walk for Peace 2019
30 June 2019
This year this flagship event will be held in Milton Keynes, in association with MK DONS Football Club and the MK DONS SET Charity, on 30th June 2019. It is free to participate. Find out more and register
Parade of Colours – Art at the Lake Festival
Get Involved with ‘Parade of Colours’. We are setting off for the best Multi-Cultural Parade as part of this year’s Art at the Lake Festival on Saturday 29th June 2019. If you wish to take part or require more info contact simon@routecanalarts.org.uk
Brook Milton Keynes offers a wide range of sexual health and advice services to anyone up to the age of 25.
We are currently recruiting for a clinic support volunteer. Go to the volunteer clinic support page for further information on the role, the specification and to discover the benefits.
The next volunteer open day at Brook Milton Keynes will be on Wednesday 12 June 2019 between 10am – 4pm. Contact jennifer.bywater@brook.org.uk for further information.
Thames Valley Partnership: Project Crisis & Support Coordinator (Bucks)
Role: To provide prevention, intervention and crisis support to anyone who is/has experienced, or is deemed to be at risk of, any form of exploitation (e.g. modern slavery, criminal, financial) and those with complex needs. The post holder will identify and engage with these individuals on a one-to-one basis, enabling them to access services and make positive, empowering choices to change their lives.
Closing date for applications: 26th June at at 8am Interviews will be held on: 1st July 2019 at the Partnership offices (Aston Sandford, Bucks HP17 8JB)
A full Job Description and Application Form can be download from the Partnership website at: www.thamesvalleypartnership.org.uk. Please note that applications will only be put forward for consideration if they are submitted on the Application Form supplied.
YMCA: Various Roles
In Autumn 2019, YMCA are launching a brand new campus in the centre of Milton Keynes which will provide homes to two hundred young people. We aim to support 75 young people each year out of homelessness and we will be helping 75 young people each year to move on, having secured a job and a new home.
Employment Manager: Salary £30,000 Deadline for Application: 28 June Interview date: 12 July
The Employment Manager will oversee a team of staff who will be focussed on delivering employment related support to our residents, as well as developing relationships with employers and training providers in Milton Keynes. Find out more
Activities Coordinator: Salary £23 – £25,000 depending on experience Deadline for Application: 28 June Interview Date: 19 July
We need someone who can lead on a range of engaging activities that make the YMCA a vibrant place to live and to build up the confidence of our young people. It’s key that the post holder is able offer a varied programme of skills that collaborate with other areas of life including volunteering opportunities, independent living skills and a range of health & wellbeing activities. Find out more
Hostel Manager: Salary £32,500 Deadline for Application: 28 June Interview Date: 9 July
The Hostel Manager oversees a team of hostel support workers in our Stage 1 accommodation. The priority is the wellbeing and support of the residents, who have often faced homelessness, family or relationship breakdown, or trauma. Find out more
The Scouts: Various Roles
Growth and Development Officer, South of England
An exciting opportunity to join a dynamic team working to create opportunities for more people to join the largest youth organisation in the county. Engaging with communities and young people to help set up new Scout groups, you will also support new and existing volunteers through workshops, one to one inductions and training across the South of England. Contributing to the Growth strand of the Skills For Life organisational strategy, this is a great time to be joining The Scouts!
FTC until Sept 2020. We foresee the successful candidate living in Avon/ Gloucester/ Wiltshire area in order to respond to our current project demand, but the role will require regular travel beyond this geography.: https://scouts.org.uk/about-us/jobs/growth-development-officer-south/
