sydenham garden volunteer handbook · reminiscence, reflection and discussion. through these...
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Sydenham Garden
Volunteer Handbook
Welcome to a Growing Community
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3
CONTENTS Welcome Projects Support & Guidance Structure
Garden Art & Craft Sow & Grow Growing Lives Session Delivery Plan Expectations Policy Contacts Ethos Organisation chart
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Page
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THANK YOU!
Sydenham Garden is a diverse community of people which is built on volunteering. Everyone who is part of Sydenham Garden volunteers time, talent and treasures, and we want to thank you for choosing to invest yours here too. We can’t thank you enough actually, and while most people volunteer with us out of a motive to give something away, we hope you will also receive back in abundance. You are most welcome to our Growing Community.
WE STRIVE TO ACHIEVE RECOVERY & WELLBEING FOR ALL. Values and goals: Sydenham Garden seeks to be an open and inclusive organisation which welcomes diversity. We are committed to caring for the individual as well as being community-minded and environmentally responsible. We work to make individuals feel valued, realise their potential and move towards wellness/recovery. Wellness/ Recovery: Human beings can and do overcome adversity and the journey to wellness/ recovery is motivated by the hope that this is possible. Wellness/recovery is an ongoing process determined by the individual and based on their unique characteristics. It relies on the individual receiving acceptance and respect throughout. It involves mental, physical, spiritual and community aspects and is promoted by being involved in choices, receiving support from peers and being given responsibility. It results in the development of new meaning and purpose in life. There are many ways to volunteer at Sydenham Garden, and they all help us achieve our aims, but typically people volunteer as a support volunteer in one of our projects, as a trustee or as an admin volunteer. We also have drop-in volunteer sessions for people that just want to volunteer on a one-off basis.
Welcome
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Garden is a social and therapeutic horticultural project based in our restored Victorian Garden and Nature reserve. Co-workers take part in weekly activities based on horticulture, conservation and rural crafts. The focus of Garden is for adults to improve their wellbeing and mental health through creative and social activity, improving their confidence and self-esteem. Sessions run throughout the week for 2 1/2 hours and take part in groups of 8-12 adults. Typically a co-worker is placed in our garden project for a 12 month period. Garden is one of our 3 Adult Mental Health (AMH) projects.
Ga
rde
n (
AM
H)
Co-workers take part in weekly group
sessions and activities, which are varied
and diverse but always based on Art &
Craft techniques. Art & Craft is a project
based in our sustainable resource centre
and draws on the resources of our
surrounding gardens. The focus is for
adults to improve their wellbeing and
mental health through creative and mindful
activity along with social interaction.
Sessions run on Wednesdays for 2 1/2 hours and take part in groups of 8-12 adults. Typically a co-worker is placed in our Art & Craft project for a 12 month period. Art & Craft is one of our 3 Adult Mental Health (AMH) projects.
Projects
Art
& C
raft
(A
MH
)
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Sow & Grow is a core project of Sydenham Garden and it aims to support people with early stages of dementia to live well. We use gardening, cooking, art and Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, as well as opportunities for reminiscence, reflection and discussion. Through these activities, participants are able to experience a holistic program of therapy that helps co-workers to improve their cognitive skills, become more socially included and have a better quality of life. Sessions run throughout the week for 2 1/2 hours and take part in groups of 8-12 adults. Typically a co-worker is placed in our Sow & Grow project for a 6 month fixed period. Sow & Grow also runs a 16-week singing a movement course on Friday afternoons.
So
w &
Gro
w (
De
me
nti
a)
Weekly activities are based on horticultural and business practices and co-workers graduate after 12-months with OCN qualifications. Growing Lives is based at our De Frene site where we manage a market (grow to sell) garden. The focus of Growing Lives is for adults to gain confidence, improve their wellbeing and mental health and increase their future prospects. Sessions run throughout the week for a whole day and include cooking and easting lunch together. They take part in groups of 8-12 adults. Typically a co-worker is placed in our Growing Lives project for a 12 month period. Growing Lives is one of our 3 Adult Mental Health (AMH) projects.
Gro
win
g L
ive
s (
AM
H)
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Da
y
AM
P
M
Mo
nd
ay
Tai Chi/m
indfu
lness
12.3
0-1
4.3
0
Short
Cours
es/
Work
shops
Gard
en s
ess
ion 1
3.3
0-1
6.0
0
Com
munity C
hoir 1
5.0
0-1
7.0
0
Tu
esd
ay
Counse
lling 1
0.0
0-1
7.0
0
Art
Clu
b, every
oth
er
week 1
0.0
0-1
2.0
0
Gard
en s
ess
ion10.0
0 –
12.3
0
Gro
win
g L
ives
10.3
0-1
5.3
0
Gard
en s
ess
ion 1
3.3
0-1
6.0
0
Com
munity L
unch
3rd T
uesd
ay 1
2.3
0
Sow
& G
row
14.0
0-1
6.3
0
We
dn
esd
ay
Art
& C
raft
sess
ion 1
0.0
0-1
2.3
0
Gard
en s
ess
ion 1
0.0
0-1
2.3
0
Art
& C
raft
sess
ion 1
3.3
0-1
6.0
0
Th
urs
da
y
Sow
& G
row
sess
ion 1
0.0
0-1
2.3
0
Gro
win
g L
ives
(asy
lum
seekers
) 11.0
0-1
3.0
0
Sow
& G
row
sess
ion 1
4.0
0-1
6.3
0
Gro
win
g L
ives
(asy
lum
seekers
) 13.3
0-1
4.3
0
PTSD
Sta
bili
sation 1
5.0
0-1
6.0
0
Fri
da
y
Sow
& G
row
sess
ion 1
0.0
0-1
2.3
0
Gro
win
g L
ives
10.3
0-1
5.3
0
Str
ictly C
om
e S
ingin
g/D
anci
ng 1
4.3
0-1
6.3
0
Short
Cours
es/
Work
shops
Sa
turd
ay
De F
rene C
om
munity W
ork
Day e
very
third S
atu
rday o
f th
e
Month
11.0
0-1
5.3
0
Short
Cours
es/
Work
shops/
Events
Short
Cours
es/
Work
shops/
Events
Se
ssio
n D
eli
ve
ry P
lan
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Support & Guidance
EXPECTATIONS:
To arrive 15 minutes prior (or at a time set by the session leader) to a session for a team briefing. We work collaboratively for the benefit of our co-workers, and as such the primary support mechanism is your project team, making briefing and de-briefs vitally important.
To attend a volunteer training evening once a year. We put these on 2 times during the year and they include an introduction to our aims, ethos, culture & history, along with some basic safeguarding training.
To have an enhanced DBS for Sydenham Garden. We use a company called Excel Passenger Services to carry out our applications for DBS. See the contacts page for further details.
To adhere to our policies. See policy section for more details.
To manage personal boundaries with co-workers. Your role is to support co-workers to take part in the sessions. We encourage all volunteers to avoid communicating privately with co-workers outside of sessions, or sharing their personal details. If in any doubt please speak to your session leader.
To come prepared for the weather. I.e. suitable sturdy footwear, waterproofs and have sun block ready.
FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteer Forums are held on 3 evenings during the year. These are a great chance for us all to feedback and to hear about Sydenham Garden as a whole.
Sydenham Garden Away Day. Once a year we go away to celebrate our achievements, learn from another organisation and strategise for the future.
Mental Health First Aid training. We offer and encourage all volunteers the chance to take this 2-day awareness course .
First Aid at Work. We offer and encourage all volunteers the chance to take this 2-day course.
Each project has specific training and meeting opportunities for its volunteers.
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POLICY: All policies can be found in the office in the Policies & Handbooks file kept above the Directors desk, we encourage you to take a look and particularly read through the Volunteer, Safeguarding, Problem Solving & Health & Safety policies.
Volunteer Policy: The aim of our volunteer policy is to ensure all our volunteers are informed about our organisation, services, policies and procedures, and that they are valued, supported and treated equally and fairly.
The policy also aims to ensure volunteers know what they can expect and where they can turn to if they want to make comments, good or bad, about their experiences as a volunteer.
Confidentiality: To ensure client and organisation confidentiality, all team members are required to comply with Sydenham Garden’s Confidentiality Policy. During induction, the designated volunteer supervisor will explain the purpose and contents of this policy and the volunteer will be required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement.
Confidentiality Policy Statement: All Sydenham Garden staff, trustees and volunteers are committed to respecting the rights of service users and other staff, trustees and volunteers to privacy and confidentiality as far as possible within the constraints of legal requirements, the safety of the individual concerned and the safety of other people.
Resolving Problems: The relationship between the organisation and its volunteers is entirely voluntary and does not imply any contract. However, it is important that the organisation is able to maintain its agreed standards of service to the clients who use it, and it is also important that volunteers should enjoy making their contribution to this service. Refer to our Problem Solving Procedures.
Safeguarding: Safety of vulnerable people using Sydenham Garden and our co-workers is of utmost importance to us. As such have a safeguarding policy in place. We ensure all volunteers working directly with co-workers have a DBS check carried out. Refer to our Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults policy.
Support & Guidance
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CONTACTS: Please do contact us in advance if you are unable to meet your volunteering commitment at any time.
020 8291 1650
www.sydenhamgarden.org.uk
Sydenham Garden Emails:
[email protected] (Growing Lives)
[email protected] (Garden)
[email protected] (Sow & Grow)
[email protected] (Art & Craft)
[email protected] (Finances)
[email protected] (Referrals and co-worker development)
[email protected] (Director)
[email protected] (general enquiries)
If you need to contact Jim Sikorski, Chair of Trustees, please write him a letter and leave it in his tray in the office.
DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE
For DBS checks call Excel Passenger services on 020 8469 0099 or email [email protected].
Excel Passenger Services Ltd, 20-22 Deptford Broadway, Deptford, SE8 4AP.
You may like to find out which documents are suitable for you to take with you. Excel can advise on this over the phone but if you prefer see pages 4/5 at this link: www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/documents-the-applicant-must-provide-
Support & Guidance
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ETHOS Sydenham Garden believes in leadership, and that leadership should be releasing. Therefore we aspire to a structure where leaders support and serve their projects and the co-workers in their projects. To do this they also release, inspire and encourage their team to do the same and in a way that also brings benefit to the environment and local residents. It’s a grand vision, and one that we can only achieve through working together.
You will have a project lead or co-ordinator as your supervisor and your main role will be to support co-workers. Some training and forum evenings will be delivered by the Director and Trustees.
Structure
DRAFT (OR DOODLED!) ORGANISATION CHART:
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SYDENHAM GARDEN
Sydenham Garden Resource Centre,
28a Wynell Road,
Forest Hill,
London,
SE23 2LW
T: 020 8291 1650
F: 020 8291 6325
Registered Charity Number: 1108100. Company Limited by guarantee. Registered in England Number: 05291164
DE FRENE, SYDENHAM GARDEN
35-37 De Frene Road (Access via
alley way)
Sydenham.
London,
SE26 4AB