The Work4ME Co-operative in Scotland has reduced the number of training sessions that people will be required to attend for its next project – which will help up to 10 people with long-term conditions gear up for the outside world by giving them the skills to enjoy volunteering.
Instead of being required to attend an opening and a closing workshop in Edinburgh and then at least four out of six remaining groups training sessions, potential recruits to their ‘Exploring Volunteering' project are now being told that attendance at the six training sessions has been made optional.
Take-up for the course has been slow so far.
A small team of mentors is on standby to buddy the new recruits for the expenses-paid course, which starts on July 30.
There's little mention in the latest publicity of helping people find jobs.
“We've made the group sessions voluntary now but hope people can attend the workshops. Work was never an outcome, but we thought it could lead to the opportunities of work,” said project co-ordinator Catherine Eadie.
The project will run from the end of July until February 2016. Over this period, each new recruit will have four hours mentoring support each month over a coffee, via Skype, by phone or email – whatever suits them best. Organisers hope that, come the end of the scheme, there will be 10 people better equipped to take on volunteering jobs and so improve their CVs.
The project has the backing of the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland who have put in £26,000.
To read more about the project, download their flyer HERE.