Catching Lives relies on the support of our volunteers to help us provide the unique and vital service that we offer to our clients. We are living in times when government funding to charities is being reduced or severely cut, and the funding that remains is often being given to larger, national charities, meaning this support is now more vital than ever.
Catching Lives is run with a small staff team and we are very fortunate to have the help, on a daily basis, of a large and extremely supportive team of volunteers. This team includes students, job seekers, working and retired people; from backgrounds as diverse as teachers, administrators, professional chefs, church groups, gardeners and full-time carers.
Without the continuing support of our wonderful existing volunteer base, and that of the new volunteers that join us every month, it would not be possible to continue our work.
How can I volunteer?
If you would like to volunteer with Catching Lives, for a few hours a week or even more, please click here to view and complete the Volunteer Application Form.
Alternatively you can pop to our day centre to pick up a physical copy of our Volunteer Application Form, or if you are unsure if you would like to volunteer, you could instead stop by to have a quick chat with our Volunteer Co-ordinator if available.
With regards to the Volunteer Application Form, please give us as much information as possible about yourself and how you might like to help. There are tick boxes to complete with suggestions of the types of volunteering opportunities that may be available, and space for you to tell us of any particular skills or interests you may be able to offer to Catching Lives including any ideas for other potential volunteering roles that you may have.
Once completed please email the application form to volunteer@catchinglives.org. We will respond to you as quickly as possible and advise any relevant opportunities we have based on the information you have provided and, if applicable, invite you into the Centre for an Induction and discussion about the roles you have shown interest in.
Listed below are some examples of some of the most popular ways to help as a volunteer with Catching Lives:
Kitchen Volunteering
Our Kitchen is the beating heart of the Open Centre, and we are always looking for volunteers with at least basic cooking skills to help us prepare and serve breakfast and a hot lunch to our clients.
The kitchen volunteer shift is 8:30am – 13:30pm.
Canterbury Community Shelter
We run our night shelter each winter. To help the shelter run smoothly when it is operational, we require a strong team of volunteers to carry out a variety of evening roles. For more details please see here
Client Activities
Help with client activities is always welcomed – and very much relies on the interests and enthusiasm of the volunteers involved. So if you have a particular interest that is relatively easy to organise and would benefit our clients please let us know.
Activities mostly take place between 14.00pm-16.00pm Monday-Friday.
Activities that have been organised recently include: quiz afternoons, film club, book club, gardening (in our adjacent garden), literacy & numeracy support and art activities.
Fundraising Volunteers
As a small, independent charity that relies largely on the kind financial donations of the public, fundraising is an essential part of keeping the services and support we provide for our clients alive, and the doors of our Open Centre, open! Therefore, we would love to hear from you if you would like to help with fundraising events, or if you have any other fundraising ideas.
Please click here for more details.
Bookshop Volunteers
We have a Second Hand Bookshop on 28 Palace Street, Canterbury, CT1 2DZ.
The building, known as the Crooked House, is an iconic landmark and is open all week, and the money generated from all book sales goes directly to Catching Lives; it’s a great place to find books for all ages, and for you to donate your old books to when they are finished.
You can find more information about the bookshop here
To apply to volunteer at the bookshop please contact 07899 458961
Volunteer Mentors
We are currently recruiting volunteer mentors to support our clients who have recently obtained accommodation after a period of rough sleeping.
This role requires a commitment of 2-5 hours a week. Full training and ongoing support are provided.
For more information please visit here- http://www.catchinglives.org/catching-lives-now-recruiting-for-volunteer-mentors/
Volunteer Project Workers
This highly rewarding role involves assisting the paid Project Workers in the core parts of the service; working one to one with clients, completing Risk and Needs Assessments, advocacy, referral to accommodation and any other general client facing engagement that may be required.
This is a specialist role that offers full-training but is not suited to everyone. To this end we ask that everyone interested in this role complete at least 3 months as a general or kitchen volunteer if they have no prior experience, or a minimum of 4 shifts as a general or kitchen volunteer if they have a background in social work, occupation therapy or a similar experience, so that we can assess you for the role, and so you can decide if the role is right for you.
Group Volunteering Days
We are lucky enough to have regular Groups of 8-10 employees from local businesses join us for a single, organised day of varied volunteering activities.
If you are an employee or owner of a local business that would be interested in joining for a day of helping out at the Charity, please find our Group Volunteering Day guide here
or email Simon at volunteer@catchinglives.org
Visiting the Canterbury Open Centre
If you are thinking of getting involved with CatchingLives and would like to find out more about the work we do, you are welcome to visit the Canterbury Open Centre, but it would be helpful if you could let us know you are coming so please call to arrange a visit first (01227 464904).
General Enquiry
If you have any general enquiries specific to volunteering, please contact us directly on volunteer@catchinglives.org