Volunteering help — Scope | Disability forum
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Volunteering help

ChelleM
ChelleM Community member Posts: 44 Courageous
Hi everyone just wondering if anyone can help me? After years of depression and anxiety I'm really hoping to get my life sorfed . I wrote on here recently about starting my blog about living with CP, since starting the blog it has made me realise that I want to start my own business. I have made a start towards doing this by contacting a local charity who are helping me write up my plans and get funding but in the mean time I want to volunteer so that I can build some much needed confidence, hopefully make some friends and help others. I'm just wondering what sort of opportunities scope have on offer? I've looked on here but I can't find anything in the Liverpool area. Thanks for any help and afvice , I really appreciate it!

Comments

  • niceboots
    niceboots Scope Member Posts: 198 Pioneering
    Hi chelle, love your blog.
    Do you want to specifically volunteer for scope? or have you thought about volunteering for other charities? There are loads of small local charities that are always looking for volunteers, they wouldn't be able to do the work they do without them... What sort of thing are you looking to do?
    I'm an admin volunteer at a local hospice, and have been there over a year.
    I started just to get some office experience to put on my cv. I absolutely love it and get involved with sponsored events and have met loads of wonderful people. It's great for building confidence, learning new skills and meeting new people. I can highly recommend it.
    Good Luck!
    chris
  • ChelleM
    ChelleM Community member Posts: 44 Courageous
    Hi Chris, I'm glad you like the blog! :)
    I've contacted a few local charities some of which haven't got back in touch with me so I thought scope might be a bit better when it comes to getting back in touch. I'm so glad your enjoying your volunteering! I really want to be doing something I love while helping others, I don't really mind what sort of volunteering I do as I just want to help and build some confidence but hopefully I can volunteer doing something that will help me with my future business plans. I want to be something like a motivational speaker and helping raise awareness of CP so fingers crossed I'll find something soon!
    Thanks for your advice.
    Michelle
  • ScopeHelpline
    ScopeHelpline Community member Posts: 207 Courageous
    Hi Chelle,

    All the general Scope volunteering positions are listed on our website here: http://www.scope.org.uk/jobs (just select the volunteering check box on the left), plus you can contact your local shop directly (our Liverpool shop is on 0151 236 4289) to see if they have any openings.

    Hope this helps.

    Helpline team
  • Noah
    Noah Community member Posts: 425 Pioneering
    Hi Michelle,

    Great to see you back on the Forum, well done, deciding that you want to setup your own business, I wish you all the very best, from what I have seen of your blog I'm convinced you will make it a great success.

    I guess you have spoken to access to work? Maybe the princes's trust can help? I'm sure there are grants /support available.

    I'm extremely keen to setup my own business, although struggle to find the time to fit everything in at the moment! My goal is to try and have something setup by mid 2015! Not fully decided on my business idea yet, but probably a disability awareness trainer/consultant.

    On the subject of volunteering to improve experience and confidence. What about writing to businesses in your area that already offer what you would like to do, and offer your time voluntary to start with. If I was running a disability awareness training session or workshop, having someone with all your first hand experience available to assist would be very valuable to me.

    Please keep us updated on your plans and progress

    Noah
  • ChelleM
    ChelleM Community member Posts: 44 Courageous
    Thank you very much Noah!
    I have spoken to a local charity who are keen to help me and I've got another meeting with them on Monday to discuss my future plans in detail, they have also put me in touch with a women's organisation that can help me with start up costs and business planning so that is a big step in the right direction. I've been in touch with some organisations and my old school and offered my help with not a lot back but I will keep trying and hopefully things will come up. I hope that your business will be up and running by mid 2015 like you planned, your advice and support has helped me alot and anything I can do to help you out then I'd be more than happy! I'll keep you updated as and when things happen, thanks again! Michelle.
  • Noah
    Noah Community member Posts: 425 Pioneering
    Your most welcome. Pleased I have been able to be of some help. Don't give up with pursuing every possible lead and opportunity, you will get, your break and opportunity soon. You are already half way there, at getting noticed, with your amazing blog.

    Thank you for kind offer, I will keep you in mind, it would be great to share some different ideas on how best to deliver disability awareness training. I studied business studies at college, and loved it, but have not yet taken the giant leap and setup my own business! It was while I was on holiday in Italy earlier this year with one of my best friends that we both decided that a business, being a disability awareness trainer, played to all my strengths, but its still an extremely scary prospect!

    Noah
  • ChelleM
    ChelleM Community member Posts: 44 Courageous
    Yes you've really helped! I won't give up, I've lacked a lot of self belief in the past so I haven't really pursued any dreams but doing my blog and the great response its had has give me a belief that I can make this happen! I've heard bussiness courses are great and I'm hoping that I'll be able to do some business start up training. It is a really scary prospect to as you say make that huge leap but hopefully the risk will be worth it for both of us! Keep me updated were your progress too please. Michelle
  • Noah
    Noah Community member Posts: 425 Pioneering
    Thank you - Yes I will keep you updated with my progress in setting up my business to, and will try and post useful things on the Scope Forum to help others. Hope you find the business start up training helpful. I'm really pleased that doing your blog has helped you believe more in yourself, It certainly has inspired me, and i'm sure many others. Noah
  • ella_at_ENA
    ella_at_ENA Community member Posts: 1 Listener
    Hey ChelleM - really cute blog. I also blog in my spare time and do the website at my current place of work. To push a blogging career forward you need to be generating lots of traffic to your site and then placing adverts on there which eventually pays a bit of money. It's a long road! Have you tried signing up to the webinars on http://www.wpbeginner.com/? for wordpress? I get their emails through and it helps you learn a few things such as alt text behind pictures so people searching on the internet can come across your blog more easily. There are also lots of free webinars for bloggers to learn how to write/brand/market their websites if you just look around online. :)
  • ChelleM
    ChelleM Community member Posts: 44 Courageous
    Thanks Ella, that means a lot! I'll have to check that link out :)

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