Fight for Home Champion - Norfolk

Role summary: Do you want to join our movement and defend the right to a safe home? Our Fight for Home Champions play a vital role in representing Shelter at local events and functions, speaking about our work and encouraging more people to support our movement for change. Our Champions also promote our local Shelter services and our campaigning work to tackle the root causes of the housing emergency.

Suggested Involvement: Varied – approximately once a month but you can choose your level of involvement

Location: Norfolk 

Supervised by:

Community Fundraising Team

Why get involved with Shelter?

A home is a fundamental human right, as vital as education or healthcare. But in Britain today, that right is denied to millions of people whose lives are blighted by homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. The time for change is now. Together with individuals, in communities and across society, we will lead the way for a safe home for all. But we need your help to do it.

This is a fantastic, flexible opportunity that gives you the opportunity to take practical action raising awareness of the housing emergency in your community and encouraging more people to join our movement for change. You’ll be joining our wider community of 2,500 volunteers who fight for home in our shops and frontline services.  As a Fight for Home Champion you will play an important role in your local community highlighting the critical work of Shelter. The role is supervised by the Community Fundraising team who are on hand to offer support and guidance. As a Fight for Home Champion, you own ideas for local involvement can be discussed with your local Community Fundraiser and full training and resources will be provided. We hope you’ll be able to bring your own ideas and connections to the role, as well as gain experience in supporting the work of Shelter.

Shelter is committed to engaging volunteers from diverse backgrounds including volunteers with lived experience of homelessness and bad housing. A diverse volunteer base enriches our work with first-hand knowledge, empathy and authenticity enabling us to better reflect the needs of the communities we serve.  Shelter are committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination and to promoting and valuing diversity. We do not tolerate - and we actively challenge - racism and all forms of hate and discrimination. 

Main tasks can include:

This is a varied role and you could do one, or all of the following activities:

• Delivering talks to local community groups, schools and faith groups about the work of Shelter and the ways in which your audience could help us achieve our goals
• Raise awareness of Shelter and our work through talking to friends, family and on social media
• Attending cheque presentations on behalf of Shelter to thank people and say a few words about how the money raised could be used to tackle homelessness
• Signpost people to our local Community Hub if they are experiencing bad housing or homelessness
• Support our campaigns to tackle the root cause of the housing emergency by encouraging people to sign petitions and spreading the word in your community

Skills required

• Confident speaker with excellent communication skills
• Excellent organisational skills
• Reliable and professional demeanour
• Personable and friendly manner
• Flexible and ability to work independently and on your own initiative
• An interest in and passionate about Shelter's work to end homelessness
• A creative self-starter with ability to use your own initiative and volunteer unsupervised
• Willingness to follow Shelter’s policies, including volunteering, health & safety, equality & diversity, confidentiality & data protection
• Familiar with Microsoft applications

Induction, Learning & Development

To enable you to take part in this opportunity, Shelter will:

• Introduce you to your local Community Fundraiser as your main point of contact
• Provide you with a volunteer handbook containing all relevant policies and procedures
• Provide e-learning including Equality & Diversity, Health & Safety, Data Protection, Environmental Awareness and Safeguarding
• Provide an induction and training to support you to do your role
• Pay “out of pocket” expenses in line with Shelter’s volunteer expenses policy

Benefits of Volunteering with us

• Supporting Shelter in our fight against bad housing and homelessness
• Gain valuable experience
• Be part of a great team
• Build your confidence and develop transferable skills
• Enhances your CV - we can help you to update this and will provide references if necessary
• Experience of running fundraising events
• Develop public speaking skills
• Getting to know your local community
• Meet people and have fun!

Next Steps

1. Please apply by clicking on ‘Fill in an application’. After you have applied, we’ll be in touch. We’ll invite successful applicants to a recruitment conversation.
2. Please note, you will be asked to declare any unspent convictions. If the role you are applying for requires you to be involved in regulated activities, we require you to undertake a basic or enhanced DBS check. Having a criminal record does not mean that you cannot volunteer with us. It may limit the different ways that you can get involved, but please contact us (using the email stated above), if you would like more information.