Opportunities
Collection Box Champion
Becoming a Collection Box Champion involves taking responsibility for one or two Brain Injury Matters collection boxes and distributing them in your local shop, monitoring them and collecting any money donated. This role requires little time, however gives so much back.
Bank/Events Volunteer
Becoming a Bank Volunteer involves being available to help out at one off events, such as helping out at bag packs/street collections/fundraising events such as quiz nights/coffee mornings etc. If you have limited time on your hands but still want to be a volunteer – this may be the role for you.
Adult Arts & Wellbeing Volunteer
Volunteering with the Adult Arts and Wellbeing Service will provide volunteers with the opportunity to assist in offering long term rehabilitation to brain injury survivors, through an arts and creative activity programme to support participant’s psychological, physical and emotional wellbeing.
Pedal Power Volunteer
Pedal Power is a physical activity/cycling programme for acquired brain injury survivors partnered with Sustrans NI. The Pedal Power volunteer will “pilot” the side-by-side trike and take participants out for cycles along the weekly route (C.S. Lewis Square – Connswater Greenway – Victoria Park). The role involves assisting participants on and off our “ICE” Trikes and taking part in group cycles. There is also the social aspect to the project: having breakfast and chatting with participants in the café/restaurant at C.S. Lewis Square.
Lead Volunteer
The Lead Volunteer role involves assisting the Volunteer Officer and Project Officers with the induction of new volunteers, as well as reporting to project staff on any issues that may arise during sessions. The Lead Volunteer will ensure service users are participating in activities, with the overarching aspiration to enable service users to become actively and positively involved in community life.
To apply for a volunteer position, download a volunteer application form and return to Brain Injury Matters via email to info@braininjurymatters.org.uk or by post to: Brain Injury Matters, Suite 5C Stirling House, Castlereagh Business Park, 478 Castlereagh Road, Belfast BT5 6BQ
Why Volunteer?
People choose to volunteer with Brain Injury Matters for a variety or reasons.
For some it simply provides them with the opportunity to help others and encourage children, young people and adults with acquired brain injury to participate in activities/interact with their peers and have fun. For others, it can be just something as straightforward as having some spare time that they wish to do something positive with and want to give back to their local community. Whatever your reasons for wishing to volunteer with Brain Injury Matters, we will be more than happy to welcome you onto our volunteering team and will endeavour to find a role suitable for you.
Reasons why people choose to volunteer with us:
Take on a new challenge
Develop new skills
Meet new people from different backgrounds/abilities
To empathise with others
To make someone smile
To help individuals with a brain injury feel they are in safe environment
To have fun and watch others grow in confidence
Make new and long lasting friendships
Gain experience for future career
No specific experience is necessary.
We just ask that you have the following qualities:
Friendly and approachable
Enthusiastic
Patient
Reliable and flexible
Common sense
Empathy
Willingness to help others
Excellent communication skills
Integrity
How available do I need to be and where would I be volunteering?
We ask that volunteers are available to help us a minimum of 2 hours per week. The majority of our volunteering opportunities are within our offices in Belfast (Castlereagh Business Park) during the below times:
Tuesday 11am - 3pm
Wednesday 11am - 3pm
Thursday 11am - 2pm
We also have a few social groups that meet in the local community (Belfast and Lisburn currently) every 3-4 weeks and these are usually on weekday afternoons. We don’t have regular opportunities in the evenings or weekends, but we do sometimes need volunteers to assist us with events/workshops/street collections etc. outside of our usual hours.
For more information on becoming a volunteer with Brain Injury Matters contact a member of the team by phone on 028 90 705 125 or email info@braininjurymatters.org.uk.
We would be more than happy to answer any questions you have.
Alana's Story
As a Brain Injury Matters volunteer you must see people with a variety of physical and cognitive effects - what’s the most challenging aspect of the role?
It can be challenging seeing service users frustrated at times by their injury and the loss accompanying it.
What do you most enjoy about volunteering?
Brain Injury Matters is a great place where people with different brain injuries and from a variety of backgrounds can meet together to have fun, learn new skills, develop lasting friendships and share experiences. I love getting to know the service users and seeing them enjoy themselves and grow in confidence.
What skills have you learned?
Through my role I have developed skills such as being flexible, creative, patient, having an encouraging attitude and being a good communicator.
What interested you about volunteering with Brain Injury Matters?
In 2012, I experienced a neurotoxic reaction through a medication and have to leave university. Thankfully I have made a good recovery but through this experiences I have learnt how isolating an illness can be, especially a brain injury as many of the symptoms are not visible to others. As a result of this, I really wanted to volunteer to help others who were in a similar situation to me.
What’s a typical day like?
I volunteer with the Tuesday wellbeing group (times are from 11am to 3pm). This involves setting up the activities, having conversations with the service users and sharing experiences with them. I also encourage service users to participate in the activities and assist the Arts and Wellbeing Officer in the facilitation of the arts/drama and educational workshops and sessions. I help service users with their lunch (cutting up food/making tea/coffee etc). For service users who have limited mobility I would help them with their art projects (painting for them/cutting things etc.) and push their wheelchairs/help them on and off seats etc. Every day can be different depending on the projects the group are doing, so sometimes they could be doing a horticulture project or learning how to cook.
How did you go about volunteering with Brain Injury Matters?
I read about the volunteering position on Brain Injury Matters website, as I had a keen interest in brain injuries and had found the website on Google. I phoned to ask more information and was emailed an application form which I completed and returned. I then had an informal interview followed by an induction and brain injury awareness training and then began my volunteer role within a few weeks. It was a very easy process.
What would you say to someone who’s considering volunteering with Brain Injury Matters?
Volunteering is a great way to help improve the quality of life of people with brain injuries, to meet new people and learn new skills. Brain Injury Matters is a great cause and I would encourage anyone who wants to help those affected by a brain injury to get involved.
Do you feel volunteering will help with future job opportunities?
I hope to become an Occupational Therapist. Through volunteering with Brain Injury Matters I have gained experience of working with people with brain injuries and have observed how the wellbeing programme can improve their quality of life. I believe this will assist me in my future career choices.
