Cornerstone Volunteering Skills Programme
The Pitch
Problem statement
Cornerstone Day Centre aims to address poverty, homelessness and low skills levels in our community. Over 80 people a day attend our Community Cafe which provides a free, hot, nutritious lunch. However, we want to build people's skills and increase their employability, as well as addressing food poverty. So we want to set up a new Volunteering Skills Programme to enable people who have been homeless who attend our community cafe and visit our community shop, to volunteer and gain new skills, build up a sense of community and work towards getting back into employment. 90% of people attending our cafe have not worked in the last 5 years and lack the skills and confidence to do so.
Solution
Our Volunteering Skills Programme will address the low levels of skills and confidence among people who have a history of homelessness and are trying to resettle in the community. The funding will enable us to recruit 15 volunteers for a 10-week programme (£20 travel card x 15 people x 10 weeks = £3,000). They will gain skills in catering, hospitality and retail working alongside our experienced project workers. They will have the opportunity to gain work-based qualifications in Health and Safety, Food Safety and First Aid. They will learn group work skills and gain self-esteem while helping to run our community cafe and shop which addresses food poverty in the local community.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
Cornerstone has been operating for over 30 years. We are well known and respected in the local community and over 1,000 people a year visit our community cafe. We have just restructured our service to ensure we are delivering advice and support to help prevent people from becoming homeless as well as providing food. We have employed a new experienced Project Worker who will run the Volunteering Skills Programme. We have planned the programme with people who attend the Centre, so we know it is meeting a real need. They have identified high travel costs as a barrier to them being able to attend regularly which is why we are requesting funding to provide volunteers with a travel card.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Weekly travel card @ 20 per week, x 10 weeks x 15 people | £3,000 |
Beneficiaries
15 people
Expected impact
15 people will take part in the Volunteering Skills Programme. The impact on these people will be increased skills, confidence, and self worth, which will increase their chance of resettling in the community. By the end of the programme they will have gained group work skills and improved interpersonal skills, they will have gained a work-based qualification and have an understanding if they would like to try and get work in catering, hospitality, or retail. We will be able to support them with job applications and provide a work-based reference. In addition to the direct effect on these individuals, there will also be an indirect benefit for the 80+ people a day who visit our community cafe and shop. These are people who are experiencing poverty and loneliness. The volunteers will help to improve our service by helping to cook the food, serve the dinners and staff the community shop giving our staff more time to provide support and help people address their problems.
Track record
We have already piloted this project, which enables us to know that it is both needed and beneficial. Tom took part in the pilot project and he said "Volunteering has given me a new purpose in my life. I have a reason to get up in the morning. I have not drank alcohol for 3 months now and my life is much better. The staff have been really supportive. I have enjoyed working in the shop the best and I think I would be able to get work in a shop in the future. The best part has been working as part of a team and giving something back and knowing that I am helping other people who are struggling. I now have much more belief in myself and I know that I can change my life for the long term. I would like other people have the opportunity to volunteer and get the support to gain new skills like I have. It would be good if this project can continue".