Urgently needed - London Literacy Champion

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rosie Agnew <Rosie.Agnew@vrh.org.uk>
Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2012 10:37:21 +0000
Subject: FW: Urgently needed - London Literacy Champion
To: Rosie Agnew <Rosie.Agnew@vrh.org.uk>

Good Morning,

I hope you are well and had a good festive break. Thank you again for
your application to VRH, and your interest in getting involved with
the scheme. At the moment, we are focusing on placing and training
applicants who have already been interviewed, however we are speaking
with schools and teachers to identify further spaces in schools for
reading helpers going forward. Thank you for your patience as we do
so. It is most likely that new spaces will be available next academic
year, and so more interviews and training will be taking place over
the summer term and in the summer break. It is also possible that we
have spaces in your area even sooner, and I will be in touch to
discuss this with you if this is the case.

In the meantime I thought you might be interested in the following
opportunity to be involved with a literacy project with families in
the Tower Hamlets area, with children aged 3 to 5 years, which will
extend until May this year. The training starts this Friday so please
do contact Marian the project lead as soon as possible if you would
like to be involved. Please see the information below.

With best wishes for the New Year,

Rosie Agnew

Volunteer Services Manager,

London North and East Branch

Volunteer Reading Help

From: Marian Patterson [mailto:Marian@vcth.org.uk]
Sent: 03 January 2012 17:49
To: Rosie Agnew
Subject: Urgently needed - London Literacy Champion
Importance: High

Thanks Rosie, if you have anyone who is interested please ask them to
call me ASAP, 1st of training is Friday 6th January

Thank you for your recent interest in London Literacy Champions.

For this project, we are looking for volunteers who:

· Can commit for a minimum of 6 months

· Can commit for a minimum of 2.5 hours a week between the
hours of 9.00am-5.00pm, Monday - Friday.

· Have good English language skills

· Are 18 or over

· Are prepared to undergo a CRB check

· Are willing to travel within Tower Hamlets

· Are willing to attend two half-day training sessions.
If you are unable to answer 'yes' to all of the above, unfortunately
you cannot be considered for the London Literacy Champion role.
However, you may still be able to become a London Literacy Ambassador;
please return to the National Literacy Trust website at www.
literacytrust.org.uk, or contact your local Volunteer Centre for
further opportunities.

If you are able to answer 'yes' to all the above points, then please
complete the attached application and monitoring form and return to me
via e-mail at marian@vcth.org.uk<mailto:marian@vcth.org.uk> or
alternatively post to the address below
If your application is successful, you will be invited for a short interview.

The training for this role will be on the 6th & 10th January 10.00 -
1.30 please state if you are unable to attend either of these dates on
return of your application form.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me on 0207 377 0956

Marian Patterson
Marian Patterson | Volunteering Brokerage Manager (Monday to Thursday)

Marian Patterson | Volunteering Brokerage Manager (Monday to Thursday)
Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets | Norvin House | 45-55 Commercial
Street | London E1 6BD
www.vcth.org.uk<http://www.vcth.org.uk/> | 020 7377 0956

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Application form for London Literacy Champion

Name of applicant: …………………………………....................
Date................................

Address………………………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Email address.............................................................................................................................

Telephone No…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Thank you for your interest in becoming a London Literacy Champion.
The purpose of this application is to get to know you better and find
out if being a Literacy Champion is right for you.
We want to make volunteering accessible to all members of the
community, but there is a selection process and this form will help us
to judge your suitability for the role.
Please answer as openly and as fully as you can.

1. Have you volunteered before?  Yes  No
a. If yes, please give details:

2. Why have you volunteered to take part in the London Literacy
Champions project?

3. What is your availability? From: ……………………… To: ………………………
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Morning     
Afternoon     

4. Will you be able to attend training on the 10th & 13th October 2011?
 Yes  No

5. What is your first
language?.........................................................................................

6 Do you speak any other
languages?.........................................................................

7. What skills and abilities do you think would be useful in this role?

8. You will need good communication skills for this role, as you
will be communicating with a wide range of people including
parents/children and people who speak English as a second language.
Could you give us an example of when good communication has been
important to you?

9. Why do you think it is important for children to have good
literacy skills? (Please tick as many as you like)
 Because reading is fun  So they do well at school
 Because it will help them get a good job  Because it will help them learn
 Don't know  Other

10. Why do you think it is important for families to spend time
reading or playing together? (Please tick as many as you like)
 It brings them closer together  It helps the children learn
 It's good to have fun together  Don't know
 Other

11. Why do you think some families may not spend time reading or
playing together? (Please tick as many as you like)
 Lack of time  Money worries
 Work commitments  Housework
 Other siblings' demands  Television or computers
 They don't think it's important  Lack of space at home
 Don't know  Other

Declaration of criminal convictions
We know that just because someone has a conviction, it does not mean
that they are automatically unsuitable to volunteer with us. We are
determined not to discriminate against ex-offenders, as we do not wish
turn away potentially valuable volunteers.
It is however essential and a legal requirement that some of our
volunteer roles require us to ask people applying to those roles if
they have any criminal convictions, including ones that are 'spent'.
'Because of the nature of this volunteer role you are required by the
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 to declare all criminal
convictions including those which are spent.'

Nature of offence(s) Date

Please note that this information will only be revealed to the
Volunteer Centre Chief Executive and your supervisor/line manager if
you start volunteering with us.

Referees

Please write down the names of two independent referees who will
provide a reference for you. We will then contact them and ask them
about your suitability for this role. These should not be members of
your family and ideally, they will people who you have know through
previous voluntary or work experience (if you would like help in whom
to choose please call us).

Name of referee
Address or email address & telephone number
1.

2.

Thank you for completing this form.

Signed: ……………………………….. Print name: …………………………… Date: …………….

Please return it to marian@vcth.org.uk or post to Marian Patterson,
Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets, Norvin House, 45-55 Commercial Street,
London E1 6BD.

LONDON LITERACY CHAMPIONS VOLUNTEER EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES MONITORING FORM

Thank you for taking the time to complete this form.

The National Literacy Trust aims to provide equal opportunities and
fair treatment for all volunteers. Please complete the form and bring
it with you to your interview.

The information below is anonymous and will not be stored with any
identifying information about you. All details are held in accordance
with the Data Protection Act 1998.

We would like you to complete this form in order to help us understand
who we are reaching and to better serve everyone in our community. The
information will be used to provide an overall profile analysis of our
volunteer base.

Age
 16 to 17  18 to 25  26 to 40  41 to 65  Over 65

Gender
 Male  Female  Transgender

Ethnicity
Please state what you consider your ethnic origin to be.

Asian Black Chinese or other ethnic group
 Indian
 Pakistani
 Bangladeshi
 Any other Asian
background
(please write in)

……………………………  Black British
 Black African
 Black Caribbean
 Any other Black
background
(please write in)

………………………  Chinese
 Traveller
 Any other ethnic group
(please write in)

……………………………
Mixed White
 White and Black
Caribbean
 White and Black African
 White and Asian
 Any other mixed
background
(please write in)

……………………………  British
 Any other white
background
(please write in)

………………………  Prefer not to say

Disability
Do you consider yourself to have any of the following disabilities?

 Physical Sensory  Learning  Prefer not to say

Sexual orientation
How would you describe your sexual orientation?

 Bisexual  Gay man  Heterosexual or "straight"
 Lesbian  Other  Prefer not to say

Employment, education and training
At the time of completing this form, which category best describes
your current situation?

 Employed  Not in education, employment or training
 In education/learning  In training
 Self-employed  Retired
 Prefer not to say

Additional information
At the time of completing this form, which category best describes
your current situation?

 Homeless  In or leaving care  Lone parent
 Offender/ex-offender  Refugee/asylum seeker  None of these
 Prefer not to say

How did you hear about the opportunity?
 Word of mouth  Search engine
 Team London website  Press
 National Literacy Trust website  Radio
 Other website  Other ……………………………

Which London borough do you live in?
 Barking and Dagenham  Hammersmith and Fulham  Newham
 Barnet  Haringey  Redbridge
 Bexley  Harrow  Richmond upon Thames
 Brent  Havering  Southwark
 Bromley  Hillingdon  Sutton
 Camden  Hounslow  Tower Hamlets
 City of London  Islington  Waltham Forest
 Croydon  Kensington and Chelsea  Wandsworth
 Ealing  Kingston upon Thames  Westminster
 Enfield  Lambeth  Other
 Greenwich  Lewisham
 Hackney  Merton ……………………………

London Literacy Champions
One person in six in the UK struggles to read and write. Poor skills
compromise health, confidence, happiness and employability. We believe
that with better literacy, everyone can succeed in life. The National
Literacy Trust is an independent charity that transforms lives through
literacy.
London Literacy Champions is a project running in 12 London boroughs
which will increase family engagement with literacy. We do this
through a network of volunteers. London Literacy Champions work with
parents and carers, improving their confidence in helping their
children develop good reading and communication skills.
What are the benefits of volunteering?
Volunteering through London Literacy Champions is a great way to get
involved and give something back to your community. You can help
improve the lives of families and children and gain skills and
experience at the same time.
What do London Literacy Champions do?
As a London Literacy Champion, you will:
• Attend training led by your Local Volunteer Coordinator to help you
work with families
• Be partnered with up to five families with children aged three to
five over the project period
• Meet with each family at settings, such as children's centres, for
at least one session per week for a period of at least six weeks
• Engage the families you work with in fun activities and offer
practical ideas for how they can build literacy into their day-to-day
lives
• Report back to your Local Volunteer Coordinator on how your families
are getting on
If you have any concerns or questions at any point, you can ask your
Local Volunteer Coordinator, staff at the centre you will be working
in, or the other Literacy Champions you will be working alongside
Can I be a London Literacy Champion?
London Literacy Champions are active, go-getting members of their
community, who enjoy working with and relate to people from all walks
of life.
You can be a London Literacy Champion if you are over 18 and have good
basic literacy skills. You will need to have experience with young
children: this doesn't need to be through training or paid employment;
it could for example, be looking after your own children or nieces or
nephews.
How much time will I need to commit?
The project will run from August 2011 to May 2012 and will include:
• Attending a short interview
• Attending training (a maximum of two days)
• One morning or afternoon per week, including preparation time,
working with families and giving feedback to your Local Volunteer
Coordinator
I'm not sure this is right for me, but I still want to get involved
You could become a Literacy Ambassador. You don't need any specific
skills, other than being active in your community. Your role will be
to encourage other families with young children to take part in
literacy activities in your local area, such as events at the local
library or children's centre. You could also get involved in these
events and help run them. You must be at least 16 years old. (We won't
be recruiting Literacy Ambassadors until Spetember/October, but please
let us know if you're interested.)
Anything else I need to know?
All volunteers must be willing to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau
check (paid for by the project), provide references and attend an
interview.
Please note that these are unpaid volunteer opportunities, and will
not lead to paid employment.
The National Literacy Trust also has corporate volunteering
opportunities through Words for Work, where professionals work with
pupils to improve their communication skills ready for work. Find out
how you or your company can get involved here
Register your interest in volunteering with London Literacy Champions.
If you are interested in becoming a Literacy Champion or a Literacy
Ambassador please fill in your details below. Your information will be
passed to the Local Volunteer Coordinator in the area(s) you would
like to work in, who will contact you by Friday 29 July. If you are
successful, you will be asked to attend a short interview.