Equality & Diversity
Volunteer Centre Tameside is committed to best practice in Equal Opportunities and has a comprehensive policy, which is monitored to ensure that it works in practice. Our Equal Opportunities Policy is regularly reviewed and updated.
We recognise that everyone has a contribution to make to our society and a right to equal treatment, this is reflected in our history of working successfully with many groups, including asylum seekers, refugees and disabled individuals.
We are keen to ensure that volunteer opportunities are accessible to everyone, thus increasing the diversity in volunteer involvement in your group or project. As part of working towards this goal, your organisation may benefit from developing systems that will help you understand what you're doing well and where things could be improved. Throughout this toolkit we have provided checklists to facilitate this.
Thanks to a successful bid to the Esmee Fairburn Foundation VCT are now able to offer support and training for Volunteer involving organisations to work with ex offenders.
Almost 25% of the working adult population has a criminal record and many have the ability, experience and enthusiasm to become exceptional volunteers. We are working with volunteer involving organisations to help them realise the benefits of involving ex-offenders, unlocking opportunities for them to develop as individuals and to help their community.
Volunteering has wide ranging benefits for ex-offenders, helping them to grow in confidence and ability, to develop routine, stability and structure and to gain work based skills. We believe that this, alongside integration back into the community, will help to break the cycle of re-offending.
Does your organisation have concerns/questions about recruiting ex offenders? Confused about convictions, legislation and disclosures? Unsure of how to proceed? Breaking The Record can help! We can offer realistic and practical tools to help your organisation benefit from the diverse range of skills and experience on offer from this group.
For more information contact Vashti on 0161 339 2345, email: vashti@tamesidevb.org.uk
