A role for volunteers within The Seashore Centre

The Seashore Centre has been set up to maintain a number of marine and coastal areas within Torbay. Included within this are The Seashore Centre in Goodrington. Saltern Cove and Sites of Special Scientific Interest. They also maintain 22 miles of coastal footpath. This land and coast in held in trust for people and the wildlife that depends on it.

As can be imagined it is a major undertaking and restricted resources help is needed. Volunteers can fulfil this need assisting the trust and in return benefiting from knowledge gained and the satisfaction of knowing they have helped to preserve and maintain something for the future.

Volunteers are skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled and their roles within the trust should be looked at to bring out the best in them and to give them the best in return. Identifying the roles that could be undertaken within the Trust is the first job. Each department within the trust needs to identify the roles that could be undertaken within there areas and listed below are a number of roles they can undertake which are virtually the same as employed staff. At no time should volunteers replace full or part time paid staff and in some cases paid staff can be sourced from the core of volunteers the trust has.

Possible jobs for volunteers

• Guides.

• Assist groups.

• Maintaining the various centres.

•  Senior volunteers could give talks to the public.

• Shell collecting.

• Desk-reception.

• Paperwork.

• Making badges.

• Clean centre.

• Plankton trawling.

• Pond dipping.

• Leaflet drops.

• Helping at events.

• Maintaining display tanks.

• Designing worksheets.

• Helping on boats.

• Any jobs other members of staff can do.

Volunteer terms and conditions

It is important for volunteers to feel welcomed and respected within the trust for their skills and what they can bring to the trust. To allow all parties to know where they stand terms and conditions should be agreed on. If the terms and conditions are the same for all volunteers it will also stop any conflict and feeling of someone being treated better than others.

Terms and conditions for volunteering.

• The volunteer should fill out an application form.

• If successfully accepted then an interview will be arranged.

• If selected they will enter into a probation period (for the benefit of both sides).