Volunteer with Crisis this Christmas and be there for someone as they build a life beyond homelessness.
Apply to volunteer for Crisis at Christmas in Newcastle 2024Crisis works at Christmas and all year round in Newcastle to help people experiencing homelessness find their own stable home and access education and training. Every Christmas, local volunteers come together to provide warmth, companionship and vital services to our members (people experiencing homelessness) at one of the toughest times of the year.
Join our friendly and supportive volunteer community that’s passionate about ending homelessness. With many volunteers returning year after year, the connections you make this Christmas can be long-lasting. And the relationships you build with people experiencing homelessness can be life-changing.
This year, our bespoke Christmas offer will create opportunities to enhance member’s skills and develop long-term solutions to gain independence at Christmas, and to build their life beyond homelessness. We will raise awareness of support within the community, provide a food ‘recipe kit’ with Christmas meal ingredients, and gift a Christmas hamper including clothing, toiletries, and wellbeing items.
To complement this offer, we will increase our cooking sessions, deliver budgeting sessions, and support members to access local stores. To ensure our members have a social community around them during the festive period, we will be offering a range of engaging activities throughout December and into the new year.
We couldn’t run Crisis at Christmas without the support of our dedicated volunteers, so we are looking for passionate individuals to support us in a range of opportunities including driving, entertainment, healthcare, and warehousing.
Some roles require previous experience and/or qualifications, while some do not.
Professional service volunteers, such as those completing health checks or haircuts will require the relevant qualifications and insurance.
Information about each role will be listed on our website and throughout the 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, click through Other ways to support buttons on the Crisis at Christmas webpage.
Of course. You are welcome to volunteer in a new shift, location, or a different role, if there is availability.
If you are feeling poorly, we urge you to not volunteer until you are feeling better.
As we prioritise the health of our members, volunteers who display any symptoms will be asked to leave their shift.
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!
We can accept donation in many ways:
Card Payment: Call us on 0191 222 0622 to make a donation over the phone.
Bank Transfer: Please contact us (details below) to request our bank details.
Cheque: Made payable to Crisis Skylight Newcastle and posted to us at 1-3 City Road, Newcastle, NE1 2AF
Just Giving: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/crisisne
Please contact our Fundraiser, Laura, to discuss any planned fundraising or donations – laura.warner@crisis.org.uk or 0191 222 0622
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.
Due to the volume of volunteers recruited at Christmas, 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.
Due to the volume of volunteers recruited at Christmas, we are unable to cover expenses.
Many of the roles will require a disclosure check (either basic or enhanced) - you will be able to see this on the role description. We use a digital system to manage DBS checks which we will request and pay for (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 for more information about the conviction to conduct a risk assessment and decide if you are able to volunteer.
Once you have applied for a role, your application will be reviewed by our Christmas team. We will contact you once a decision has been made.
If your application is approved, you will then be able to book your shifts. If your role requires a disclosure check, we will inform you of the process for this.
You must attend a volunteer induction and complete any essential e-learning to ensure you’re prepared to volunteer.
Once all these steps are complete, you can begin volunteering with us!
Training varies for each role, however you must attend a volunteer induction prior to commencing your shifts. You will also be required to complete any essential 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.
Crisis will work to support an individual who has immediate accommodation concerns, which may include funding emergency hotel accommodation. At a local level we do not provide a residential offer.
There is pay to park multi-storey car parking at Manors and Quayside car parks. Crisis Skylight Newcastle is a 15-minute walk from Newcastle Train Station.
