CLOSED FOR APPLICATIONS – Community Champion Volunteers

Our Community Champions are a small network of individuals living and working in Cumbria who help us to engage people in the work of our charity, raise awareness about suicide prevention and support fundraising activity. This is a new role we will be developing across summer 2023.

We want to start as many conversations about suicide as we can across our communities in Cumbria.

Whats the aim of the role?

  • Promote understanding about the work of Every Life Matters.
  • Educate the general public about suicide prevention, suicide bereavement and self-harm, and the role we can all play in preventing suicide.
  • Have open and compassionate conversations with the general public about suicide, suicide bereavement and self-harm.
  • Promote the Orange Button Scheme and act as Orange Button Holders.
  • To support fundraising for our charity.

What does the role involve?

The role will be varied, and the work for this role will be occassional, rather than regular. Activity will depend on competencies and time avalilability of each volunteer. 

As a team of volunteers you would;

  • Attend a variety of public events such as agricultural shows, music festivals, town centre venues and so on to promote the work of Every Life Matters, promote suicide prevention and to raise funds.
  • Support other events such as World Suicide Prevention Day, Training or Conferences.
  • Attend larger community fundraising events such as K2B and challenge walks and provide support to our community fundraisers.

As individual volunteers you might;

  • Represent Every Life Matters at small events, clubs and community groups and provide short talks about suicide and the work of our charity.
  • Represent Every Life Matters in the workplace and facilitate short talks, events or fundraising.
  • Support smaller community fundraising events.
  • Work as a Lived Experience volunteer and/or act as a Lived Experience volunteer within our media work.

Where is the role based?

  • Volunteers will work across the county, but we are bringing together two teams of volunteers first in Barrow and Carlisle, which is where any face to face training for the role will be held.

What training will you receive?

  • A basic 10 hour training programme for Community Champion volunteers will include Suicide Prevention/Orange Button Training, understanding the work of Every Life Matters, listening skills, managing difficult conversations etc. Much of the training can be accessed online, but some will be face to face in evenings or weekends.
  • Volunteers will have access to ongoing training and continuing development across suicide prevention, self-harm and mental health. We want our community champions to be as knowledgeable about suicide as possible.
  • Once basic training is completed volunteers will attend a first event with our team to put their knowledge and skills into practice.

What is the time commitment?

  • Volunteers are expected to undertakle a comprehensive training programme of minimum 10 hours.
  • A rolling programme of events throughout the year will be drawn up for which teams of volunteers can sign up to. These might include all day events at weekends, daytime or evening events.
  • In addition to the above individual volunteers can also sign up to other events, or undertake agreed activity of their own.
  • Volunteers will receive all relevant expenses for their involvement including travel and meal costs.

How do I apply?