Volunteering

Key information for community engagement volunteers

We have put together this information to help you with various aspects of volunteering for Katharine House Hospice.

Your main contact

When you start volunteering, you may be dealing with various members of staff.

Dependent on the activity, if you have any questions or concerns, please ask your contact at Katharine House.

If you are unsure as to who that is for the activity in question, please contact Supporter Care who can signpost you.

Supporter Care are available on [email protected] or 01295 816484

Handling cash

Our guidelines

All cash handling must be carried out in a safe and secure environment.
Cash should be collected, counted, banked and recorded by two unrelated individuals.
Store all cash received securely (ideally locked) until banked or handed over to Katharine House Hospice, ideally within two working days and no more than five working days.
Bag and bank cash following bank guidelines, and transport in bags that help disguise the cash (such as a shopper or carrier bag).
Children under 16 MUST NOT be left with any responsibility for handling money and/or responsibility for counting collected money.

Counting and storing cash

At events, there should always be two unrelated individuals present to take care of finances.
Collection tins and buckets must be returned to the fundraising team with seals intact.
Organise a secure place in advance that is away from public areas to be used for the finance area.
NEVER leave unsecured cash unattended, including in a vehicle.
If you take cash home with you after a collection of event, please make sure it is stored within a locked cupboard or will won’t be insured against loss.

For more information on how to safely manage and pay in donations please visit this page.

Tips for lifting when manual handling

Avoid twisting or leaning, particularly if you back is bent.
Do not twist while lifting, use your feet to turn.
Keep your shoulders level and facing in the same direction as your hips.
Keep your head up when handling.
When the load is securely gripped, look forward and not to the back.
Move smoothly, as jerking or snatching the load can increase the risk of injury or loss of control of the load.
If you need to adjust your position or change your grip, put down the load and then adjust.
When lowering the load, put it down with the same technique that you use to pick it up.
Avoid lifting the load to the back of surface/shelving or over obstacles.

Dealing with the public

Challenging behaviour

Walk away from any situation in which you feel your personal safety is affected.
Please report any concerns to your named contact at Katharine

Understanding threatening body language

Regardless of the context, even in a safe environment, body language conveys significant meaning. Each of us expresses body language, often subconsciously, through gestures such as facial expressions, hand movements and posture.

The face: our faces are the most expressive parts of our bodies, and they convey a great deal of information. An angry or potentially threatening person might display signs like pursed lips, sneering or an intense stare.
Hands and arms: while clenched fists are a clear indicator of aggression, so are crossed arms or hands tucked into pockets.
Feet and legs: a person’s stance can reveal much about their intentions.
Invasion of personal space: if someone encroaches upon your personal space, it can create feelings of threat.
Touch: unwanted physical contact can be perceived as invasive and threatening, particularly if it comes from someone you do not wish to be touched by.
Gestures: certain gestures can also indicate anger or aggression. This includes offensive gestures, sudden movements or mock attacks, all of which should be taken seriously in assessing a situation.

First Aid

As a preventative measure, please wear sensible footwear and avoid walking on uneven and unsafe ground during your volunteering role.

If you are volunteering at someone else’s event or at a venue such as a supermarket or a community organisation, then check with them what their First Aid procedures are upon arrival. They will likely have a nominated First Aider.

Depending on the event or activity, there may or may not be a First Aider available when First Aid is needed.

If there is a First Aider at the event, they should be your first port of call.
If there is an emergency situation and someone has life-threatening injuries, call 999.

There is more advice here on when to call.

If you or someone else has had an accident or received First Aid while volunteering with us, please report it to your contact at Katharine House so that we can minimise the risk of it happening again if possible.

Moving vehicles

In some activities, there may be a need for general road safety.

If you are volunteering in and around vehicles, ALWAYS wear a high visibility jacket.
Ensure that pedestrian and vehicle routes are segregated.
Ensure there are obvious entry and exit points for an event with clear signage for routes and parking areas.
For roles where you are required to drive, please refer to The Highway Code.

Adverse weather

In some situations, an event may need to be cancelled or postponed due to the weather. If you feel it is dangerous for you to get to and from your role because of the weather, please let us know.

Otherwise, please dress appropriately for the weather.

If you are outside on a warm day, please remember to wear suncream and we’d also recommend wearing a hat.
You may be volunteering in particularly wintery conditions, so please wrap up in lots of layers to keep warm.
For all volunteering, please wear appropriate and sensible footwear.