This winter make a difference and help someone as they build a life beyond homelessness.
This Christmas, people facing homelessness in Birmingham will need support. Crisis works at Christmas and all year round to support people in Birmingham to build lives beyond homelessness.
Every year thanks to our Christmas appeal we offer much needed warmth, healthcare, food and company to people experiencing homelessness.
Our Christmas services work alongside the specialist support we provide all year, which includes helping people to find their own stable home, to access education and training.
Get involved in your local area by attending a Crisis event, volunteering your time, supporting Crisis through fundraising or providing gifts for our guests. Will you help start someone’s life beyond homelessness?
If you are experiencing homelessness please come to the office or call us on 0121 348 7950.
If you are a member of Crisis Skylight Birmingham, please speak to your lead worker to discuss attendance.
Some of our roles require previous experience or qualifications and others do not.
Professional service volunteers, such as those completing health checks or haircuts will require the relevant qualifications and public liability insurance.
In some roles we may be looking for volunteers with experience of supporting people who are homeless or other vulnerable adult groups. Information about each role will be listed on our website and throughout your volunteer application form. Please check this information before applying to ensure you are applying for the most suitable role for you.
It’s great that you want to support us this Christmas! There are lots of opportunities to support us through fundraising or campaigning work. To find out more, scroll to the bottom of this page or click through to the Crisis this Christmas webpage.
Of course, you are welcome to volunteer in a new shift, location or a different role if we have space available.
If you are feeling poorly we urge you to not volunteer until you are feeling better.
Please email christmas.newcastle@crisis.org.uk if you have any questions.
Our Christmas events are for Crisis members only. If you are homeless or living in temporary accommodation, contact us on 0191 222 0622 to find out about joining our Skylight.
We have volunteering opportunities that come up year-round and are advertised on our volunteering webpages.
If you don’t see anything you are interested in at the moment, please email our Volunteer and Involvement Lead on volunteering.newcastle@crisis.org.uk and they will keep you in mind when new opportunities arise.
Thanks so much for wanting to donate to Crisis Skylight Newcastle!
To do this you can:
Donate via Just Giving: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/crisisne
The voice and expertise of people with lived experience is vital in ensuring our service is truly meeting the needs of our members. We encourage anyone with lived experience to apply for our volunteer roles.
We also involve members and people with lived experience of homelessness in opportunities across the organisation including our Experts by Experience panel. For more details, please speak to your local Volunteer and Involvement Lead.
We do not ask for references for Christmas volunteers.
At Christmas, due to the volume of volunteers recruited, we are unable to provide detailed references. We will only provide a start and finish date for those who have completed a volunteering shift in the previous two years. The only exception to this is for the lead/senior volunteers who work closely with Crisis and members of staff beyond the Christmas service delivery period.
At Christmas, due to the volume of volunteers recruited we are unable to cover expenses.
Many of the roles in our services will require a disclosure check, (either basic or enhanced) - you will be able to see this on the role description. If the role does, we use a digital system to manage this and we will request and pay for it (where payment is needed).
If you have a criminal conviction, this does not automatically mean you cannot volunteer for us. However, we may need to ask you more about the conviction to be able to do a risk assessment and decide if you can or cannot volunteer.
Once you have applied for a role, your application will be reviewed by our Christmas team. We will let you know once a decision has been made and the outcome.
Training varies for each role, however you must attend mandatory volunteer training prior to commencing your shifts. You will also be required to complete any e-learning relevant to your role.
If you think someone is homeless, or at risk of homelessness, you should contact the Newcastle Housing Advice Centre.
Telephone: 0800 1707 008
Email: housingadvicecentre@newcastle.gov.uk
If you think someone is homeless or at risk of homelessness, outside of Newcastle, check your local authority’s website for further details.
If you need to access your volunteer account please visit My Crisis Volunteering. Here you can access information on your shifts, including if you need to cancel or amend them and any learning relating to your volunteering as well as update your contact details.
Events are mainly in Crisis Skylight Newcastle, our city centre warehouse and our hub at Gateshead College.
