Brentwood volunteer centre
Brentwood Council for Voluntary Service has launched the new Brentwood Volunteer Centre. The Centre is designed to be a one stop shop for information and advice about how to engage volunteers or how to start volunteering. Working together with other Volunteer Centres in Essex, Brentwood is part of the Volunteer Essex website. The site hosts a range of information on volunteering and advertises many volunteering opportunities across the County.
For information, email enquiries@brentwoodcvs.org.uk or visit Volunteer Essex.
Volunteer opportunities
There are many volunteering opportunities across the borough. Brentwood community and Voluntary services have launched the Brentwood Volunteer Hub, with information on how to get involved, including links to some opportunities with Brentwood Borough Council.
Community events
- Lighting Up Brentwood - flexible hours available
- Festive Shenfield - flexible hours available
Duties include directing members of the public, escorting street performers, helping back stage, helping with set up and pack down. Ages 16+ only. Shifts over 4 hours includes a free lunch.
Countryside volunteers
Countryside Volunteers - throughout the year
Litter picking
Litter Picking - volunteer packs available
The Council is committed to ensuring that the local community is fully involved in influencing decision-making regarding its services, and prioritises engaging local volunteers.
Volunteers have an integral role to play in promoting and contributing to community cohesion. Brentwood Borough Council recognises that there can be occasions whereby a volunteer's help can make a significant contribution to the service delivery of the Council.
If you take up a volunteering role at the Council, you will be working alongside the skills of paid staff and you will not be used to replace staff paid staff. The Council's Volunteer Recruitment Policy and Procedures ensures that any volunteer is treated fairly and that your rights and responsibilities as a volunteer, and those of the Council, are made clear to you.
View the volunteering handbook (PDF).
Contact the elderly
Tea and companionship for the elderly in Brentwood.
Contact the Elderly tackles and alleviates acute loneliness and social isolation among older people over the age of 75, who live alone without family or friends nearby, by organising free monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups of elderly people in their local communities. The charity recruits volunteer hosts and drivers to help arrange tea parties. Once a month, normally on a Sunday, each elderly member is collected from their home by a volunteer driver, and is taken to a volunteer host’s home, where they join a small group for tea, talk and companionship.
The charity has almost 400 groups across the UK, including one in Brentwood. Contact the Elderly is looking for volunteer drivers to spare one Sunday afternoon a month by collecting one or two elderly people from their homes and accompanying them to a tea party.
Any Brentwood residents interesting in driving for Contact the Elderly and making a difference to the lives of local elderly people, should contact Katy Szita, the Development Officer for the area, on 0208 530 0494 or email katy.szita@contact-the-elderly.org.uk.
For more information, visit Contact the elderly.