Volunteer Hub
Student Angels Volunteer 24/25
Organisation Details
UMSU Wellbeing Projects
Activity type: Advice, Information and Support, Community Work, First Aid, Health and Wellbeing, Homeless and Housing, Mental Health
Stellify Award: This opportunity is part of 'Make a Difference'
Organisation Description: The University of Manchester's Student's Union is a independent charity that engages in fundraising, volunteering and wellbeing projects to better student welfare and enhance diversity, inclusion, and acceptance.
Description of role: We have an exciting opportunity to volunteer with our Student Angels project, organised by the Students’ Union in collaboration with Manchester City Council. The project is a night-time safety initiative, which involves teams of trained student volunteers heading out into the Manchester University and Oxford Rd area during the night to help vulnerable people who may be at risk. The Student Angels Project has supported over 600 people since September 2019, and with your assistance we can continue to improve the project and help many more!
Each shift involves a small team of volunteers (you'll never be on your own!), equipped with a range of equipment including first aids kits, anti-spiking covers, hydration pouches, foil blankets, hyper-vent bags and biohazard bags! You’ll be able to help the Manchester community with a variety of problems, such as being in distress, intoxicated, injured and needing first aid, or helping get people to safety. You will protect, care and support people in need.
You will be provided with full first-aid and wellbeing training, with optional training modules including: water safety, mental health and suicide-prevention training, women’s safety training. We also have exciting opportunities to network with other safety organisations, such as the LGBT+ Foundation, The Women's Institute Charter, MHFA England, and St. Johns Ambulance. You will gain vital training experience and/or qualifications for a majority of real-world jobs and you will feel prepared to help those in need.
A run-down of your typical duties on-shift may include…
• Provide a friendly and approachable safe-point for all members of the public who are in need of help, advice or support
• Handle sensitive-subject matter and support people accordingly
• Provide first-aid to injured individuals
• Safeguard at-risk individuals and bring them to accredited ‘safe-houses’ across Manchester
• Identify high-risk individuals and intervene during a safety concern
• Engage in brief interventions with service users around a variety of issues – e.g. mental health, sexual health, substance abuse
• Provide CPR if a member is found unconscious
• Provide safety resources, such as anti-spiking covers or hydration packs, to people in need
• Aid lost, or disorientated, individuals, organise transport and get them home safely
• Aid the homeless and provide resources, such as foil blankets and hydration packs, or sitting down for a chat to mitigate against loneliness
• Provide mental health support to anyone in distress
• Maintain regular contact on the Nitenet radio system with ambulance services, fire services, and safety services, and work alongside them, aiding their efforts, when needed
• Escalate serious issues to appropriate on-call members and identify safeguarding concerns
• Fill out shift documentation sheets, summarising each shift and providing data engagement statistics of specific issues, to provide a valid in-sight into current safety issues and concerns within a population
Our Student Angels volunteers can work on Friday or Saturday Nights during 10pm-3am (with occasional shifts on other days for special events, including protest marches and festivals). Our shifts are flexible and we work around you as you sign up at your own will - there is no pressure or strict schedule and we are grateful for any time you can commit! On shift, you will also be provided with refreshments, a £7.50 food & drink allowance, regular breaks and all transport included. Our volunteers develop a strong sense of community and friendship throughout the Project and there are regular socials organised and events to attend if you wish!
Essential skills:
• Confidence approaching and speaking to persons unknown
• Comfort in discussing sensitive and potentially upsetting topics
• Ability to provide a friendly and approachable ‘bedside manner’
• Holds a basic understanding of the current issues surrounding nightlife and the night-time scene
• Ability to maintain client confidentiality and preserve anonymity
• Sensitivity and understanding of vulnerable people and ability to interact accordingly
• A genuine desire to help and aid vulnerable people
• Ability to work as a team and aid other’s efforts
• Ability to lead and direct a group of people during a safety issue
• Ability to problem solve and use independent initiative when unguided
• Ability to stay calm in a stressful or high-stakes situation
• Understanding of all backgrounds and holds a zero-tolerance approach to harassment and discrimination of all marginalised groups
Sounds like you? Register your interest today for more information and/or sign up to be a volunteer!
Got a query? Speak to our UMSU Student Angels Assistant at studentangels.su@manchester.ac.uk about any questions or concerns you may have. We're here to help!
The Students’ Union welcomes and encourages all students to get involved in volunteering. As a Union we do not discriminate based on background and we welcome students from all ethnicities, genders, religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, ages, socio-economic backgrounds and disabilities.
We aim to support all students in their application process and during volunteering. Should you need any help, and/or adjustments with the application or wider volunteering process please contact the Students’ Union Volunteering and Fundraising team at: volunteering.su@manchester.ac.uk.
Each shift involves a small team of volunteers (you'll never be on your own!), equipped with a range of equipment including first aids kits, anti-spiking covers, hydration pouches, foil blankets, hyper-vent bags and biohazard bags! You’ll be able to help the Manchester community with a variety of problems, such as being in distress, intoxicated, injured and needing first aid, or helping get people to safety. You will protect, care and support people in need.
You will be provided with full first-aid and wellbeing training, with optional training modules including: water safety, mental health and suicide-prevention training, women’s safety training. We also have exciting opportunities to network with other safety organisations, such as the LGBT+ Foundation, The Women's Institute Charter, MHFA England, and St. Johns Ambulance. You will gain vital training experience and/or qualifications for a majority of real-world jobs and you will feel prepared to help those in need.
A run-down of your typical duties on-shift may include…
• Provide a friendly and approachable safe-point for all members of the public who are in need of help, advice or support
• Handle sensitive-subject matter and support people accordingly
• Provide first-aid to injured individuals
• Safeguard at-risk individuals and bring them to accredited ‘safe-houses’ across Manchester
• Identify high-risk individuals and intervene during a safety concern
• Engage in brief interventions with service users around a variety of issues – e.g. mental health, sexual health, substance abuse
• Provide CPR if a member is found unconscious
• Provide safety resources, such as anti-spiking covers or hydration packs, to people in need
• Aid lost, or disorientated, individuals, organise transport and get them home safely
• Aid the homeless and provide resources, such as foil blankets and hydration packs, or sitting down for a chat to mitigate against loneliness
• Provide mental health support to anyone in distress
• Maintain regular contact on the Nitenet radio system with ambulance services, fire services, and safety services, and work alongside them, aiding their efforts, when needed
• Escalate serious issues to appropriate on-call members and identify safeguarding concerns
• Fill out shift documentation sheets, summarising each shift and providing data engagement statistics of specific issues, to provide a valid in-sight into current safety issues and concerns within a population
Our Student Angels volunteers can work on Friday or Saturday Nights during 10pm-3am (with occasional shifts on other days for special events, including protest marches and festivals). Our shifts are flexible and we work around you as you sign up at your own will - there is no pressure or strict schedule and we are grateful for any time you can commit! On shift, you will also be provided with refreshments, a £7.50 food & drink allowance, regular breaks and all transport included. Our volunteers develop a strong sense of community and friendship throughout the Project and there are regular socials organised and events to attend if you wish!
Essential skills:
• Confidence approaching and speaking to persons unknown
• Comfort in discussing sensitive and potentially upsetting topics
• Ability to provide a friendly and approachable ‘bedside manner’
• Holds a basic understanding of the current issues surrounding nightlife and the night-time scene
• Ability to maintain client confidentiality and preserve anonymity
• Sensitivity and understanding of vulnerable people and ability to interact accordingly
• A genuine desire to help and aid vulnerable people
• Ability to work as a team and aid other’s efforts
• Ability to lead and direct a group of people during a safety issue
• Ability to problem solve and use independent initiative when unguided
• Ability to stay calm in a stressful or high-stakes situation
• Understanding of all backgrounds and holds a zero-tolerance approach to harassment and discrimination of all marginalised groups
Sounds like you? Register your interest today for more information and/or sign up to be a volunteer!
Got a query? Speak to our UMSU Student Angels Assistant at studentangels.su@manchester.ac.uk about any questions or concerns you may have. We're here to help!
The Students’ Union welcomes and encourages all students to get involved in volunteering. As a Union we do not discriminate based on background and we welcome students from all ethnicities, genders, religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, ages, socio-economic backgrounds and disabilities.
We aim to support all students in their application process and during volunteering. Should you need any help, and/or adjustments with the application or wider volunteering process please contact the Students’ Union Volunteering and Fundraising team at: volunteering.su@manchester.ac.uk.
Skills / qualities associated with the role: Customer Service, Event Planning, Leadership, Oral Communication Skills, Practical Skills, Team Working
Are volunteer expenses available?: Yes
Duration of role: Ongoing / Long term
Start date:
End date:
Opportunity times: Friday Evening, Saturday Evening
DBS required: On
Can reasonable adjustments be made regarding additional needs?: Yes
Is this organisation part of the Sports Volunteering Scheme (SVS)?: No
Minimum hours commitment: 6 hours ( 1 shift a month)
Location:
UMSU, Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PR