Thames Reach’s Tenancy Sustainment Team (TST) South are looking for volunteers to help people recover from street homelessness and maintain independent accommodation across South London.

Volunteers are offered training, ongoing support and expenses. Volunteering is a great way to gain experience and learn new skills, help towards getting a paid role in the sector, or to make meaningful use of your spare time. We welcome and encourage volunteers with lived experience of homelessness, recovery, and mental health.

We offer the opportunity to work from different locations in West, South or East London, for half a day or a full day at a range of different times, including opportunities to help us on late afternoons and evenings (Monday to Friday).

Please have a look at the roles listed below. If you’re interested in applying for a role, please fill out the application form here. Feel free to get in touch with any questions at: volunteermanagers@thamesreach.org.uk.

Tenancy Intervention and Welfare (TIW) volunteer: The TIW volunteer will support staff when clients are at risk of losing their homes or when clients need support to stay safe within their community. Some travel across London will be needed to visit clients, but full travel expenses are paid. Experience of working with vulnerable people is desirable and we welcome applications from Social Work/Social Care students (plese see below for details).

Welcome volunteer: We are seeking volunteers to support clients who are new to the TST. You will help people build confidence and make connections in their local community. This role will be a mixture of telephone support and travel around London. Good IT skills and a polite telephone manner will be important for this role.

Social Isolation volunteer: Volunteers are needed for informal support for clients who are experiencing loneliness or isolation. Support will involve helping people to be well connected to their community.

Keeping In Touch (KIT) volunteer: KIT  is a telephone support service, giving clients the opportunity to informally “check in” if they need to speak to someone in the TST. Volunteers will help direct the calls and offer a low level of support over the phone. Good IT skills and a polite and friendly telephone manner are needed for this role.

Placements: We welcome student placements in the team. If you are over 18 years old, you can take part in a placement in our TST for a minimum of twelve weeks as part of your course, in teams across London. In recent years, students on social work, mental health and social science courses have gained a great deal of experience from these placements. Please send us an email at volunteermanagers@thamesreach.org.uk to enquire.

“I joined Thames Reach through the Traineeship in 2011. Having worked in organisations before which were more focused on policy and lobbying government, I was keen to get some experience of front-line support work. I was attracted to Thames Reach as a very practical organisation and hoped the Traineeship would give me a way in to the sector. I started in Stamford Street, as it was then known, and then moved to another hostel, Graham House, for my second placement. I found the Traineeship to be a really positive experience, a good mix of being thrown in at the deep end and getting support and guidance from the people I worked with. I learnt from my mistakes and saw the creative and consistent work done by our organisation first hand, often shadowing more experienced colleagues. I was able to stay on after my Traineeship ended, getting a job in the Graham House team, and have worked in a few of our different projects over the years, leading to my current job as the area manager for hostels. I think the Traineeship is a great opportunity for anyone looking to start their career in the sector, and I look forward to seeing who applies for this year’s scheme as a member of the interview panel.”

The deadline for this year’s Traineeship programme has been extended to 20 February. Click here for more details and how to apply.

Can you tell us about how the Employment and Skills team are helping people Thames Reach are already working with?
We are always looking to increase the numbers of people we work with, and offer a range of support such as basic skills training, which includes digital literacy, traditional literacy and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). We have a job broker in our teams who can set people up with employment; we have strong relationships with many employers, especially in construction, hospitality, retail, and security sectors. We acknowledge that not everyone will be ready to go straight into a new job, and many people will have gaps in their CVs where life experiences have taken place, so we can also help people become job-ready, with CV support and interview preparation.

Once people are at that stage and in employment, we are also committed to helping people get better paid work, particularly meeting the London Living Wage. We often organise employer engagement events, where we invite employers in to meet potential candidates, so we can demystify the interview and recruitment process as much as possible. They are always popular and have been very successful. For those who may not be ready for work yet, we provide volunteering opportunities to help people gain confidence, experience and get into a good routine.

Why is it so important to work collaboratively with other Thames Reach teams?
Internal teams have good relationships with the people they work with, and know them really well; some of the work we do will be a brief intervention so that the individual can take that next step. It’s so important that the relationships of trust are maintained between the individual, their support worker and the Employment and Skills team. If we can understand the challenges and the barriers that are preventing people from moving forward, we can use the resources we have to help them in the most suitable way. We work with the TST (Tenancy Sustainment Team) a great deal, all outreach teams, and sometimes hostels. We also have a strong relationship with the EUSS (European Union Settlement Scheme) team, and a good track record of signposting people to the right service to complete successful immigration status applications. This is a vital part of the process of helping people avoid street homelessness.

Do you offer support to people with a range of needs?
When we have referrals from all different teams at Thames Reach, as well as the wider community, we work with a wide range of people; some may be currently sleeping rough and receiving support through outreach teams, while some people will be in secure housing. To maintain contact, we need to find out if they have access to a mobile phone. We work with an organisation called Community Calling to get people phones so that they can keep in contact with not only us and their support worker, but of course their wider support networks. We then need to know if they are available for work, when they last worked, and what kind of upskilling they might need. Even if people are staying temporarily in hostels, night shelters or hotels, without long-term fixed addresses, we can still help them into work. For some people without fixed addresses, they may have limited entitlement to benefits, so finding work quickly is important.

Our work lies in both preventing street homelessness and helping people recover from it. Getting people into work is not always straightforward and involves a lot of personalised support around improving confidence and self-esteem as well as skills. It is important that we facilitate up-skilling; sustainable work is one of the most important things in supporting people away from homelessness.

Chris has been volunteering with Deptford Reach since it re-opened after lockdown, with a new purpose of supporting more people in an outreach capacity. Chris started volunteering after being recommended to Thames Reach’s TRaVEL (Thames Reach Volunteering and Employment for Life) programme, which helps people improve their confidence and interpersonal skills before entering volunteering or the workplace. He has been volunteering for just over two months, and has a front-of-house role on reception, meeting and greeting visitors to the building and helping with tasks such as ensuring people get to their doctor’s appointment. He finds the experience rewarding and a good way of being able to use the skills he had worked on during the TRaVEL programme.

“I found out about TRaVEL through my support worker, and the project first introduced me to Thames Reach’s work. I’ve been able to improve my communication skills, my confidence and my self-esteem, which I’ll need for heading into work.Chris is currently happy volunteering and working on his self-esteem and rebuilding his life after a period of street homelessness, and keen to give back to the sector that has helped him. “I like being able to give back to the service. Because of my past, when people come into the building, I can see potential in them. Maybe if they see me they might be inspired to improve their situation. I feel like I am in a position to inspire them, even in a subtle way.” When Chris is ready to get back into work, he is keen to work in the fields of homelessness, mental health or recovery, using his lived experience to help others.  He will be able to access the Thames Reach Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) service for support with job applications.

The recovery journey Chris is going through began from being street homeless for a year, before residing in a hostel for another year after his time sleeping rough, then rehab for seven months. He is now determined to focus on his recovery and improving his wellbeing, he says, to never go back to the way he was. He wants to use his lived experience to eventually find a job where he can help and influence people and be paid for it. Reflecting on how far he has come, Chris says “helping other people is part of my recovery”.

Chris is now enjoying taking up new hobbies which help him feel happy in himself. He is undergoing training in beekeeping locally in London, and enjoys being outdoors as much as possible. He also speaks enthusiastically about a project he is part of with St Mungo’s called Paws for Pause, which provides training for working with dogs and understanding their behaviours, aimed at people who have had mental health support needs. “It’s good for my wellbeing, I really enjoy it, plus it’s the opportunity to pick up some new skills. My life has changed big time and I’m very grateful for that.”

For volunteering opportunities, please email volunteers@thamesreach.org.uk. 

To mark Volunteers Week, we caught up with some of our incredible volunteers, who work across our projects in a range of roles, and provide an invaluable service to staff and those using our services. Their commitment to our vision of ending street homelessness helps us make a real difference to people’s lives on a daily basis.

Desiree volunteers at The Greenhouse in Hackney

“My name is Desiree and I’ve been volunteering at the Greenhouse since April this year.

“I always had a passion to do more for vulnerable people, but I didn’t really know where to turn to. My boyfriend works for Thames Reach, and he spoke so highly of the work they do to support for vulnerable people. I checked the Thames Reach website and liked what I saw and read, and decided I would like to be a part of that.

“I love Thames Reach’s strong ethos and commitment. I live my life with the same kind of values: never give up on people; always be positive, respectful and compassionate about others. After my first day at the Greenhouse I was absolutely sure to have found people who really believe and work with those values.

“I’m really touched by the hard work we do at Thames Reach. I have not spent a long time volunteering yet, but I can say the benefits of volunteering are twofold: it gives help and support to people in need, and is also really rewarding in return.

“I’m learning new skills, I’m meeting a lot of nice people, I’m being part of a community and I’m challenging myself to try something different, achieve new goals and discover hidden talents. Last but not least, I’m coming back home knowing I’ve done a little something to help people change their life, and this feeling has no equal.”

Zuhoor volunteers in the Employment and Skills team

“My name is Zuhoor, I volunteer in two teams at Thames Reach: the IAG (Information, Advice and Guidance within Employment and Skills) and the volunteers team. I have been volunteering since June 2020.

“I started volunteering after meeting staff at Thames Reach who said I would be a good volunteer, and offered me experience. I love the environment here, staff have helped me a lot when I needed help and now I want to give back.

“I believe it builds and rebuilds confidence, helps with professional relationships and gives people a chance to give back to those in need, which is important when you yourself have been there.

“I have learnt so much, and can see that I can give back and that there is a lot of joy in volunteering, yes I am not paid for it but I get more joy out of this!  You can see the impact you’re making and that gives me great satisfaction!”

Elin volunteers at Southwark Works

“My name is Elin and I’ve been volunteering at the Employment Academy for Southwark Works for about nine months.

“I started volunteering after I received a notification from Do It, an online volunteering platform that helps you find the sort of volunteering you are interested in, letting me know that Thames Reach were looking for new volunteers.

“I wanted to volunteer with Thames Reach primarily because it’s a homeless charity, and I was feeling frustrated by the way I was seeing homeless people being de-humanised on the street in London. I hadn’t actually heard of Thames Reach before I started volunteering but quickly learned about the incredible work they have been doing for a long time.

“When you volunteer, you witness a side of life that might be very different to the one you live, which is important, and work along side some of the most inspiring, dedicated and compassionate people you will ever meet.

“Something I’ve learnt from volunteering is that the system is not working for everyone; poverty and homelessness are everywhere, the number of people that need help are huge, the class divides are just getting bigger and too many people are happy to turn a blind eye.”

From the entire Thames Reach community, we would like to thank all our incredible volunteers for their work, as well as their enthusiasm and dedication for ending street homelessness. Our work would not be possible without your input. You are all fantastic!

If you or your team are looking to take part in volunteering, and are passionate about ending street homelessness, please get in touch with volunteer programmes manager Kelly McLoughlin: volunteers@thamesreach.org.uk

This year has seen not only an unprecedented increase in demand for many of Thames Reach’s services, but also the need to adapt as quickly and effectively as possible. Volunteers across different projects have helped enormously with these efforts, and to say thank you earlier in the year we asked staff and service users to nominate their star volunteers for our inaugural Volunteer Hero Awards, marking those who have gone above and beyond to help our projects and services across London. Although social distancing guidelines meant we were not able to host a full ceremony with all winners and staff together, over the past few weeks, winners have been presented with their Volunteer Hero Awards by chief executive Bill Tidnam.

From supporting outreach services to gardening projects at a residential project, each winner was nominated by either a staff member or service user for their outstanding contribution to Thames Reach’s vision of ending street homelessness. There were twelve winners overall, this is what some of them had to say after finding out they had won:

“It is my privilege to be able to volunteer for such a dynamic charity. I am always excited to get out there working alongside fantastic staff who have such dedication and passion for the work that they do. Everyone at Thames Reach have shown me nothing but kindness and patience and that is replicated with the poor souls who they meet living on the streets. I am struggling to get my head around the fact that i was even nominated as i think that i am simply doing what most other people would do if they were given the opportunity. Each time that we get someone off of the streets feels like a great moral victory to me as it does to all of the wonderful people who i work with. I would recommend that everyone should try volunteering at least once in their lives.”
– Paul, Rapid Response Team

“For me, volunteering is a snack for the soul. It’s a way to give back to my community and contribute in my own way. The pandemic was more of an incentive for me to get out there and help out. To quote Billy Ocean, ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’.”
– Manos, Rapid Response Team

“Back in March I was lucky enough to do the TRaVEL (Thames Reach Volunteering and Employment for Life) course as a learner, I thought that with PTSD and anxiety I was no longer able to help anyone let alone myself. The course rekindled my desire to encourage others to reach full potential and I was accepted to volunteer for the next TRaVEL course. The course has rewarded me immensely, not only am I gaining invaluable skills from working with Lisa and the learners but also find that this experience has changed me for the better. I want to push myself towards a career that involves helping others. This experience has opened my heart. It was an honour to be awarded one of the Volunteer Hero awards and the recognition really humbled me.

“I have learned that job satisfaction is more than money. To be given this opportunity to help in a time of crisis has made me realise there is no lockdown on hope.”
– Joe, TRaVEL

A selection of nomination comments from staff and service users:

“Faye has been with us since 2019 and has been a fantastic volunteer throughout. She is consistent, committed and is always willing to be flexible even when we have had to make last minute changes. Faye was fantastic during the pandemic and recently supported Jamie [Lead Manager, Rapid Response Team] in explaining the role of volunteers within our team at a volunteer Streetlink event. She was particularly good at explaining the realities of outreach on the ground and this is a testament to her sound communication skills and empathy. She is a perfect volunteer!”
– Nomination for Faye, Rapid Response Team

“During the pandemic, often we were short staffed and Vicar Rob stepped up many times so I could complete early shifts and day shifts. It was an eerie and scary time, yet he remained calm and professional and never once let me down in sometimes manic situations. All the services you take for granted i.e coffee shops, cafes and loos (!) were all shut down and his church St Barnabus became my beacon of light.”
– Nomination for Vicar Rob, Newham SORT

“During lockdown Clare continued to make weekly contact with her clients and support them via the phone; she was keen to remain in contact with them and support the SI [Social Inclusion] service during these very difficult times. She is consistent, extremely enthusiastic, reliable, approachable, friendly, understanding, compassionate and selfless and has created invaluable bonds with her clients. I have received great feedback about Clare from her clients; they look forward to her visiting and calling them, she helps them feel motivated and focused and often gives purpose to their week. She always has a non-judgmental attitude and accepts them for who they are.

“One of her clients has progressed hugely, which is down to the support she has received from Clare; they now have a small support network they didn’t have before and get out for weekly walks with a group which she would never have considered before.”
– Nomination for Clare, Social Inclusion Project in the Tenancy Sustainment Team 

Elishia had spent most of the past four years indoors. She had not been able to find much work and, suffering with chronic pain and mobility issues, she became very isolated, stuck in her flat without much fulfilling activity in her life.

Thames Reach was mentioned to her one day by a friend who had just completed the Work Ready Programme, a week-long activity course aimed at helping people develop the skills to better find employment. Elishia lived close to the Employment Academy, Thames Reach’s community resource centre in Camberwell, and decided to investigate.

Liking what she saw, Elishia applied to become a volunteer receptionist, and was soon working part-time alongside reception manager Michelle, whose support proved invaluable in helping Elishia settle into her role.

Volunteering her time in an environment she found warm and welcoming, Elishia’s mental health began to improve, and she soon realised how much she enjoyed working with visitors to the Employment Academy.

“I felt very comfortable on reception,” she said. “I felt like I was meant to work here.’”

After a few months, she became a permanent member of staff. Her role involved welcoming visitors and clients, many of whom attend in order to meet with the Thames Reach employment and skills team, and also taking room hire bookings and preparing for the wide range of events that take place in the building.

“We have so much going on here,” she said. “We have meeting rooms and office space that gets booked up, but the building is also used for children’s birthdays, church services, theatre groups and community meetings. We even have a wedding licence, and we have lots of weddings here along with parties in the courtyard in the summer.

“It’s my job to get the place ready for anyone who’s made a booking. I work hard to get everything just right and, every event I’ve covered, I’ve always felt appreciated by clients and visitors and that’s what makes me want to stay here in this job.”

Elishia feels that volunteering has opened the door to a more fulfilling life for her. 

“I really want to carry on here. I was really struggling before but now I get a lot of joy from what I’m doing. To other people who are thinking of volunteering but are unsure, I’d tell them to not be scared, you won’t know what you enjoy, and what feels worthwhile to you, until you go out and try. You can get so much out of it, it feels great to contribute, and it can help you with finding a permanent job in the future.”