Following are suggestions of ways in which you could assist as a volunteer at U3A Deepdene.
Front office
The front office volunteer opens up the rooms and checks with the class monitors (see below) that each classroom is ready for the class; checks the message bank on the phone; answers incoming phone calls; handles personal enquiries; processes the inward mail and generally ensures that things run smoothly.
There is a checklist of tasks and there is usually an experienced person present when you volunteer for the first time. If you could even come for 2 hours once a month, that would be a great help!
Class monitors
For each class or activity, we like to have a class monitor. Notes are provided for class monitors, listing the range of tasks to be undertaken. These include: introducing the lecturer or class leader; (b) thanking them at the conclusion of the class; (c) ensuring that the room and any required equipment is ready for the class; (d) generally ensuring that the class runs smoothly by attending to any requests for assistance from the lecturer or class leader.
Equipment set-up
Many of our courses require set-up of equipment, such as computers, data projectors, microphones, audio equipment, etc. Please let us know if you could help with any of these.
Ideas for courses
Would you like to join a small group to meet just once or twice, to review the previous term’s program, to brainstorm ideas for subsequent programs and to identify possible lecturers and class leaders? The program we offer will be improved greatly if we have input from different members each term with their new ideas.
Lecturers/class leaders
We need a range of lecturers and class leaders – with a diversity of ideas and skills. Perhaps you might like to take just one session – or a short course – or you might know someone who could do something interesting for us. We are very happy to follow up ideas and potential lecturers and class leaders.
Hospitality
When we conduct functions, like members’ meetings or thank you afternoon teas for lecturers and class leaders, we need a small hospitality team to help us manage. It would be good if we had a number of people volunteering for this role so that the job is widely shared.
Publicity
Our budget for publicity is very small so we need some people with creative ideas about how we can economically promote our programs and activities. We would be pleased if we could identify some members who had some relevant contacts.
Grant applications
We manage our day-to-day affairs efficiently and economically, within a very small budget. However, to achieve some outcomes, we shall need to access funds that are available on submission. If you have had some experience in this area and you would like to help with drafting our applications we would be very pleased to hear from you.
Hospitality
As we share the various venues used for our courses with other groups, we need to keep these places clean and tidy and, occasionally, we may have to wash the windows. If you would be happy to help with this, please let us know.
We hope that all members will feel that there is a volunteer opportunity to suit them.