Location: The Passage Resource Centre, St. Vincent’s Centre, Carlisle Place, Victoria, London, SW1P 1NL
Shift time:
Monday to Friday, 9.00am – 12.00pm or 1.00pm – 3.30pm. Option to do both shift times in a day if desired.
Shifts are booked on an online rota so you can choose whichever shifts you like – ideally on a weekly or fortnightly basis, but we can be flexible.
Please note:
- Applicants must be 18 years old or over
- We will ask for personal references
About this volunteer role
The Passage Resource Centre supports people experiencing homelessness in Westminster, providing a safe and welcoming environment where, as well as specialist support, their primary needs can be met. This includes providing showers, food, clothing and laundry services, all of which are vital in supporting those who are rough sleeping or insecurely housed.
Based in our Resource Centre in Victoria, this is a hands on, practical role, and one which is crucial in ensuring that service users can access our basic primary services when visiting us. As a Clothing Store & Laundry Volunteer you will be performing a pivotal role in assisting clients to access primary services, and creating a warm and friendly atmosphere. This is often the first step for clients in their recovery from homelessness and a hugely important part of their journey.
We are seeking volunteers to support with the daily running of our laundry service and clothing store. There is constant high demand for these services and we are looking for volunteers who are comfortable providing direct assistance to our service users, supporting with different duties depending on what needs doing on a particular day, and engaging with our service users in a friendly and non-judgmental way.
If you are seeking experience in the homelessness sector, happy to work in a busy environment and up for hands on tasks, this role would be suited to you.
This role is supervised by the Resettlement Team, who are responsible for establishing the needs of our clients via an initial assessment, and then signposting into our internal services which include employment, advice & advocacy (including welfare rights, modern slavery, migrant support and immigration), mental and physical health, and housing.
We are committed to creating a safe, non-judgmental space for everyone here at The Passage, regardless of who they are. There is an expectation that volunteers understand this and behave accordingly towards people using our services, other volunteers, visitors and members of staff.
Main duties
- Following a system for taking in service user laundry, and returning cleaned clothing to service users when ready
- Washing and drying clothing for service users
- Keeping laundry room tidy and organised
- Helping clients find clothing in our clothing store
- Helping to unpack, sort, and put away clothing donations
- Making staff aware about levels of clothing donations and when items are running low
Desired qualities
- Aged 18 or over – essential
- Interested in volunteering with adults with a variety of support needs
- Flexible attitude towards duties, does what needs doing
- Confident nature, ability to approach people and talk to them
How we will support you
Volunteers are essential to The Passage and our success. Our team of volunteers add tremendous value to our services, from serving food and driving to providing complementary therapies and facilitating English conversation classes.
All volunteers benefit from:
- Induction and training including introduction to homelessness, personal & professional boundaries and equality, diversity & inclusion
- Learning more about homelessness and the challenges faced by people using our services
- Flexibility of shift times and a wide variety of roles
- Travel expenses reimbursed
Any questions?
For questions about the role or the application process, please take a look at our Volunteering FAQ’s.
Alternatively, please get in touch via email or phone at 020 7592 1885(10am – 4pm, Mon – Fri).