Community Cohesion volunteering opportunities

Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm

Community Cohesion Volunteer Role Description

Introduction:

Nottingham City Council seeks enthusiastic, confident individuals from any background interested in volunteering their time between Monday and Friday 9-4pm to support outreach community cohesion activities at existing events and locations in Nottingham City delivered from and with the Multi-van Community Engagement vehicle. These three roles will involve speaking to the general public and encouraging them to get involved in community cohesion activities.

Cohesive communities, are places that:

• offer a common vision and a sense of belonging for all
• positively value diversity
• provide equal opportunities to people from different backgrounds and
• provide an environment where strong and positive relationships can be developed between people from different backgrounds.

If this sounds like you, please read on and apply.

Funding to promote community cohesion and rebuild social trust between communities has been allocated to Nottingham City by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The purpose of this funding is to:

• Rebuild social trust and promote cohesion between communities
• Reduce the risk of public disorder in the future

This funding has been given in response to the significant and widespread disorder which led to negative behaviours such as racism and islamophobia within local communities across England in July and August 2024.

Role description:

This role would suit retired social workers/community/youth workers and student social workers/community/youth outreach people wanting to gain valuable experience.

Our volunteers will work closely with City Council professionals to improve cohesion across our communities and to reduce hate crime As a Community Cohesion volunteer you will be asked to:

• Identify existing events and community spaces and locations in Nottingham City at which the Multi-van Community Engagement vehicle could be taken to carry out engaging cohesion activities with children, young people, parents and carers
• Book places at these events, ensuring that relevant permits, paperwork, risk assessments etc are completed
• Develop engaging community cohesion activities in conjunction with the Community Cohesion and Hate Crime Officer, e.g. the Mobile Mural, the Love not Hate postcard to a citizen project
• Encourage people to engage and participate in these activities while advocating the importance of community cohesion and building social trust
• Signpost people to support services e.g. How to report a Hate-Crime, Victim Care, online resources for promoting community cohesion and combating Hate Crime
• Assist with the collection of experiences and wishes from children, young people and families, parents and carers about community cohesion and hate crime
• Input into the planning and design of future community cohesion activities

Time Commitment:

We are looking for volunteers who can commit two or three days in total each to identifying and booking places at existing events and then to delivering outreach activities at least one day a week during the school summer holidays between 23rd July and 29^th August 2025. In addition, we would welcome volunteers who are interested to continue to deliver outreach activities during half-term holidays, Christmas, Eid, Easter etc.

Benefits of volunteering:

There are many benefits to volunteering as a Community Cohesion volunteer. These include:

• Making a difference by connecting with people and building connections between people in your local community, including those not yet heard, so their experiences and recommendations improve our work
• Improve your confidence and skills, which could lead to future employment opportunities
• Learn new skills e.g. how to engage with different types of people, how to facilitate focus group discussions etc. please speak to us about the skills you would like to learn, and we will do our best to provide you with opportunities in this area
• An opportunity to meet a diverse range of people and develop connections with people in your local community
• Being part of a great team of volunteers across Nottingham City, with a dedicated staff team to support you
• Supervision, both formal and informal, to help you develop and achieve your goals
• Regular Community Cohesion volunteer meetings, so your voice is heard
• Appreciation for and recognition of your contribution as a volunteer e.g. an ID badge, T-shirt, yearly celebration events

Qualifications, skills and experience:

We do not require any formal qualifications for these roles, and we appreciate what you bring as an individual. Listed below are some ideal traits, qualities, and skills which we think would benefit these positions. We recognise that not everyone will have all of these and welcome applications from individuals who have a desire to support the work we do.

1. Good communication skills
2. A non-judgemental and respectful attitude
3. A respect for those from different backgrounds
4. An interest in community cohesion and tackling Hate Crime
5. A desire to improve the quality of wellbeing for Nottingham people
6. An understanding of confidentiality
7. Willing to work as part of a team
8. Willing to travel around the city
9. Driving licence

We will carry out a standard DBS check on you for this role as part of safe volunteering practice as you may be interacting one to one with children, young people, and families.

Next steps

If you are interested in applying to become one of our volunteers please either contact Hester Kapur, Community Cohesion and Hate Crime Officer via hester.kapur@nottinghamcity.gov.uk for an informal chat or write a covering letter outlining your skills and experience on points 1 to 9 above and include the names and contact details of two referees.

Times and availability

Community Cohesion volunteering opportunities

Age Range: 18 Plus years