STAR : Volunteering

Why does STAR need volunteers?

We do not have enough funding to pay someone to do the work
Volunteers support STAR staff, they add to our services and fill gaps
We may need someone to do a short term task, not a permanent worker
To get fresh ideas – new people on the management committee may challenge views – every organisation needs this
STAR’s users experience of interacting with volunteers is different to interacting with a paid worker because the volunteer gives the user their time freely

What do we need volunteers to do?

Typical tasks: (detailed task lists are available on request)

Multicultural Resource Library

Book in/out toys returned/borrowed on TOYBASE system
Catalogue and label new resources on TOYBASE
Help reorganise resources

Administration

Open and action the mail
Answer office telephone, courteously and professionally
Print and post information / invoices / receipts

Management Committee

Provide input to decisions
Review STAR policies and procedures
Take minutes of STAR meetings and distribute to committee

Publicity and events

Produce and distribute regular newsletters (four per year)
Publicise and promote STAR’s work at events
Contact local press and radio stations

Funding Applications

Research potential sources of grant funding

Volunteers can gain experience in:

Dealing with a wide range of people
Using computers
Running an office
Racial equality issues in Early Years education and childcare

Who can volunteer for STAR?

STAR welcomes offers of voluntary work from people regardless of race, culture, creed, ethnic or national origin, gender, religious or political belief, ability, health, class, income, marital status, age or sexual orientation.

STAR asks volunteers to:

Provide one reference (or two references if carrying out tasks requiring confidentiality or handling cash).
Complete a short induction, which covers health and safety and a brief outline of STAR’s policies and procedures.
Notify us by phone if you cannot come.
Complete a questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of their time with us. This is to help us find suitable tasks for volunteers and to improve our volunteers’ experience of working with us.

Volunteers can expect STAR to:

Try to match tasks to the volunteer’s own skills and experience. We can sometimes offer training to volunteers who wish to extend their skills.
Pay volunteers’ travelling expenses (receipts required).
Supervise volunteers, with help and support available if required.
Provide a reference for them if required.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for STAR.

Volunteer Translators Required:

STAR is currently looking for volunteers who can translate children’s books from English into various foreign languages. The books to be translated are for children aged 1 to 8 years, and range from a single sentence per page to a couple of paragraphs per page.

Once translated, these books will be lent out, free of charge, to nursery schools, primary schools and parents, the aim being to help children with at least one parent whose first language is not English to learn and enjoy that language.

Volunteers will be asked to translate a variety of books, via an exchange of emails, and can translate as many books as they wish, at their own pace, without any obligations.

If you are interested in helping STAR and would like further information, please email mark@star4diversity.org.uk.

Albanian	Amharic	Arabic	Armenian	Azerbaijani	Bantu	Belarussian	Bengali	Bosnian	Bulgarian
Burmese	Chinese	Croatian	Czech	Danish	Dutch	Estonian	Farsi	French	Georgian
German	Greek	Gujarati	Hausa	Hebrew	Hindi	Hungarian	Indonesian	Italian	Japanese
Kazak	Khmer	Korean	Kurdish	Lao	Latvian	Lithuanian	Macedonian	Malay	Malayalam
Norwegian	Pashto	Polish	Portuguese	Punjabi	Romanian	Russian	Serbo-Croat	Shona	Slovak
Slovenian	Somali	Spanish	Swahili	Swedish	Tagalog	Tajik	Tamil	Thai	Tsoonga
Tswana	Turkish	Turkmen	Ukrainian	Urdu	Uzbek	Vietnamese	Welsh	Yoruba	Zulu
... Other