Onside is a registered charity providing independent advocacy, and mentoring to vulnerable adults facing disadvantage through mental and physical ill health, learning disability and old age, depression, dementia, autism, learning difficulties. We provide our service across Herefordshire & Worcestershire and we are currently looking to train more volunteers from the local area.

NEW for 2020 is social prescribing

Social prescribing enables GPs, nurses and other primary care professionals to refer people to a range of local, non-clinical services. It recognises that people’s health is determined primarily by a range of social, economic and environmental factors, social prescribing seeks to address people’s needs in a holistic way. It also aims to support individuals to take greater control of their own health.

Social prescribing can be utilised to address a range of issues that people might be facing eg loneliness isolation, debt, housing crisis. Low level mental health issues etc. Individuals will be signposted to other specialist’s services or facilitated to take part variety of activities that may be beneficial Examples include volunteering, arts activities, group learning, gardening, befriending, cookery, healthy eating advice and a range of sports.

We are very keen to involve volunteers in this exciting new project and would be keen to talk with anyone that would like to find out more. Predominantly volunteer roles will involve providing additional support to patients enabling them to attend activities like the ones outlined above, one to one mentoring or support to tackle specific issues e.g. debt, or conflict resolution etc.

Advocacy is a way of supporting and empowering people to ensure that they have their voice heard and their wishes made known to others and we are looking for volunteers to provide this support in their local area.

Onside’s Volunteer Manager, Claire Watkins, said “Our volunteers provide the support required by the members of our community who might otherwise be ignored. Our volunteers give their time, their passion and enthusiasm we need continued help from willing volunteers who would enjoy supporting adults in their local community.”

Volunteering with Onside is a flexible commitment; as little as 2 hours a month can be given with full training.

Volunteers enjoy the flexible aspect of our work along with the chance to join in at our local support events we run for volunteers including regular coffee mornings. The comment that really sums it up came from one volunteers – “I seem to make a difference every time I visit, she laughs and I do, she had cheered up as she hadn’t seen anyone else all week ”

We are currently arranging our next training course and places are limited.

If you are interested in finding out more, or keen to get started please contact Claire on 01905 27525 or e-mail volunteering@onside-advocacy.org.uk.

On Thursday 17th October a new initiative kicks off in Wigmore.  If you’re an absolute beginner and want to learn how to knit or are experienced and would like to share what you are currently working on, come along to The Huddle Hub at Wigmore Village Hall to join like-minded people with a shared interest…. oh, and the coffee and cake is good there too!