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George House Trust was established by volunteers and they continue to play a central role in our work today. We are committed to providing quality volunteering opportunities and are proud to have been awarded Investing in Volunteers; the UK quality standard for all organisations involving volunteers.

George House Trust provides essential support to people living with HIV and to carers, partners and children directly affected by HIV. Every year we support over 2,000 people and volunteer support is vital to many areas of our work. Whether you’re providing one to one support, helping at a group or space, fundraising, or raising awareness, the time you give helps us to promote the best possible quality of life for all people living with HIV in the North West.

“Volunteering at GHT has really opened my mind. I feel that I now see the person and individual where I used to just see HIV”

“I’ve seen myself develop and grow and have been able to give my time to those who really need it.”

Investing in Volunteers

George House Trust is proud to have been awarded Investing in Volunteers; the UK quality standard for all organisations involving volunteers. Investing in Volunteers aims to improve the quality of the volunteering experience for all volunteers and for organisations to acknowledge the enormous contribution made by volunteers. George House Trust was assessed against a range of best practice standards and proved to excel in all aspects of working with its volunteers. Volunteers are essential to the work of George House Trust and we are committed to offering a high quality volunteering experience to new and existing volunteers, through comprehensive induction, ongoing training, skills development and support.

Further information about Investing in Volunteers can be found at www.investinginvolunteers.org.uk

Why volunteer at GHT?

Skills and Experience
Volunteering provides an opportunity to use your existing skills and develop new ones.

It’s a great way to:

• develop your knowledge and understanding about HIV,
• gain valuable experience for your CV
• develop a range of transferable skills

We work with volunteers to identify individual training needs, ensure you receive a comprehensive induction and provide ongoing training to support you in your role.

“The experience of volunteering and the training provided by GHT enabled me to feel equipped to challenge stigma amongst the wider public”

Meeting people
People of all ages and backgrounds volunteer at George House Trust and there are lots of opportunities to meet people and make new friends.

“I’d recommend volunteering in general; the sense of purpose, social responsibility, fun, and meeting interesting and new people.”

Volunteer Roles at George House Trust

Whichever role you choose, you’ll be making an essential contribution to the work of George House Trust.

Spaces Volunteer – working alongside staff to deliver our Gay Men’s, African, Women’s, Saturday Space and space for non-African women. Read more about this role... (full role description available soon)

Fundraising Volunteer – raising vital funds at Pride or World AIDS Day and helping to plan and develop our community fundraising activities. Read more about this role... (full role description available soon)

Driving Volunteer – providing transport for service users to and from appointments and services. This role requires you to go through an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Check. Read more about this role... (full role description available soon)

Training Volunteer – helping to deliver in house and external training. Read more about this role... (full role description available soon)

Campaigns and Events Volunteer – promoting the work of George House Trust, campaigning, and raising awareness about HIV at external events. Read more about this role... (full role description available soon)

Office Help Volunteer – helping with mail outs and with administrative tasks in our office. Read more about this role... (full role description available soon)

Community Support Volunteer – providing one to one mentoring or befriending support to people living with HIV. This role requires you to go through an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Check. Read more about this role... (full role description available soon)

Counselling Volunteer – opportunities for fully qualified counsellors to provide one to one counselling for people living with HIV. This role requires you to go through an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Check. Read more about this role... (full role description available soon)

Positive Speakers – raising awareness about living with HIV and challenging prejudice through personal testimonies and information sessions. This opportunity is only open to people living with HIV. Read more about this role... (full role description available soon)

We also have opportunities for volunteers with professional or specialist expertise.
Please contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator for further details: email: volunteering@ght.org.uk or phone 0161 274 4499.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? You can search for a range of volunteering opportunities in the North West at www.do-it.org.uk

How to apply to be a volunteer

We’re committed to supporting you throughout the application process, here’s our step by step guide:

• The first step is to complete an initial enquiry form, either online or by post.
• You will then be invited to come along to an Information Session for prospective volunteers. These run throughout the year and give you a chance to find out more about George House Trust and to identify which volunteer role you would like to apply for.
• If you decide you want to apply, you will be asked to come along to a short meeting to discuss why you want to volunteer at George House Trust, your skills and experience and what we can offer you. All new volunteer meetings follow a standard format and aim to identify whether volunteering at GHT is right for you.
• You will then be invited to our next New Volunteer Induction Training.

If you have a question about volunteering at GHT, please feel free to contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator: volunteering@ght.org.uk

Training

If you decide to volunteer at George House Trust, we ensure that you receive a comprehensive induction and access to ongoing training and support.

Examples of training offered to volunteers includes:

• Understanding HIV and treatments
• Supporting people living with HIV
• Understanding Asylum and Immigration
• Listening skills
• Translating/Interpreting skills
• Presentation skills
• Drug and Alcohol Awareness
• Mental Health Awareness

We can also support you to access training with other organisations that is relevant to your volunteer role at George House Trust.

Feedback from some of our training events:

“Very thought provoking”
“Brilliant and well structured”
“Very informative and very useful”
“The training has given me more awareness and confidence”

Info for Existing Volunteers

Volunteer Views

We welcome feedback about your experience of volunteering at George House Trust and suggestions for the future development of the programme, for example:

• Requests for particular training or skills development courses
• Ideas for social events and activities
• Ideas for ways we can support you in your volunteering
• Positive comments or complaints about volunteering at GHT

You can give feedback by:

• Filling in our annual volunteer survey
• Attending our annual volunteer focus group
• Coming along to a volunteer team meeting
• Using the volunteer online feedback form

Volunteer feedback reports are presented to the Volunteering and Membership Subcommittee and help us to further improve the support we provide to volunteers.

Volunteer Resource Bank

If there is further information that would be useful to include in this area, please email: volunteering@ght.org.uk

Download Volunteer Application Form (Word)

Download Volunteer Application Form (PDF)

Download Volunteer Expenses Form (Word)

Download Volunteer Expenses Form (PDF)

Community Support Log Sheet (Word)

Community Support Log Sheet (PDF)

LH Drivers Insurance Form (Word) NEW

LH Drivers Insurance Form (PDF) NEW