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"I had a wonderful experience working with physically handicapped adults. It was the beginning of my career as a teacher of Special Education."
- Sarah, Kenyon College
London is home to hundreds of domestic and international agencies, many of which have pioneered innovative approaches to social needs. For your service of 15-20 hours a week, you might:
Following are examples of agencies where IPSL students have served in the past or may be able to serve. Other service placements may be available. Your placement will be determined by community and agency needs, as well as your interests, goals, and skills.
This charity fights poverty in developing countries in partnership and solidarity with people affected by globalisation. They campaign for workers’ rights and against the root causes of global poverty, inequality and injustice. They fund programmes around the world. They seek enthusiastic volunteers to help their work in campaigning programmes and fundraising departments in London.
Population Served: Poor people in developing countries
Areas of Service:
Fundraising
/
Administration
/
Research
This is a coalition of over 370 voluntary and statutory organisations committed to the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They are one of the biggest children’s rights coalitions in the world. CRAE exists to transform the lives and status of children in England and seeks the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other human rights instruments. They lobby for laws and policies to be fully compliant with children’s human rights, they monitor Government action on implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other human rights instruments and they disseminate children’s rights information to the public. This organisation always welcomes enthusiastic volunteers who can help them in a variety of ways, including: organising their children’s rights library and information resources; expanding their membership; tracking Parliamentary Questions; monitoring children’s rights developments across the world.
Population Served: Children
Areas of Service:
Fundraising
/
Children & Youth
/
Administration
/
Research
/
Human rights
Everyone who has visited Central London will have seen homeless people sleeping rough on the streets, outside theatres and stations and in shop doorways. Although there are hostels and night shelters in London, there are not enough places to go round and homeless people rely on charities, local groups and churches for food and other assistance. St Martin-in-the-Fields has a long tradition for caring for homeless people and this work continues with the Connection at St Martin’s, which was created in 2003 from the merger of two of London’s leading providers of daytime services for homeless people. The Connection provides a place of safety and opportunity for the homeless and it aims to help people to recover their sense of self-esteem and to rebuild their lives away from the streets. Volunteers can help a person develop their literacy or IT skills; organise a sport event or fun activity, either in the centre or outside; use their skills to help to run an art, music or drama session; or help out in their canteen preparing food, serving and clearing up.
Population Served: Homeless people
Areas of Service:
Literacy
/
Recreation
/
Food services/distribution
/
Social services
/
Education
/
Computers
/
Job training
/
Arts
/
Homelessness
This is a primary school for children age 3-11 who have physical disabilities or profound and multiple learning difficulties. There are two main roles for volunteers. The first is supporting children in the classroom, which involves helping with both physical and education programmes under the direction of school staff; helping at lunchtime and on school outings. The second is supporting children in the water during hydrotherapy sessions.
Population Served: Children with physical disabilities and/or learning difficulties
Areas of Service:
Recreation
/
Disabilities
/
Education
/
Special education
/
Physical therapy
/
Children & Youth
Most families, especially those coping for the first time with the imprisonment of a relative, experience problems in finding out about the prison system. Prisoners are often put in prisons far from their home, which can make it difficult for people planning a visit, especially if young children or people with any form of disability are involved. In 2001 a number of different charities that had a long history of working with prisoners and their families came together and formed the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT). PACT now runs Visitors’ Centres and other services at most of the prisons in London. Visitors’ Centres aim to provide a welcoming environment where visitors are treated with dignity and respect, and can obtain information, support and advice. The Centres are staffed by both paid workers and volunteers and offer families a range of services, including guidance on how to make the correct arrangements for visits; the provision of supervised play for children visiting prison and helping in the snack bar.
Population Served: Families of prisoners
Areas of Service:
Food services/distribution
/
Recreation
/
Childcare
This organization was set up in 1996 in order to give emotional, educational and practical support to profoundly vulnerable young children. The children commonly suffer significant mental health and emotional difficulties due to experience of neglect, physical and emotional abuse, and exposure to violence and drugs. This organization works in a number of schools in London. Schools invite them in and they provide 15 to 20 staff (including volunteers) to offer a number of different services, such as counseling, group therapy, group work and lunch time activities. Student volunteers are needed to help run the various lunch time activities, such as sports, drama, art, music, puppetry and games clubs.
Population Served: Young children
Areas of Service:
Arts
/
Education
/
Recreation
/
Children & Youth
