Placement Team Support (VOICES Network - Hybrid/Manchester)

Placement Volunteers at the British Red Cross are highly valued for the skills and energy they bring. We aim to provide our placement volunteers with an insight into the daily workings of the world’s largest humanitarian organisation. They will have access to relevant in-house training and development opportunities during their placement with possible ad hoc opportunities to get involved in other areas of activity.

Our placement volunteers will help make a great contribution to the work of the British Red Cross and will be responsible for achieving specific agreed objectives within one of our various departments.

The expected start date for the placement is 19 May 2025 and the placement will run for a period of 12 weeks, between 9am - 5pm flexibly, but with requirement to attend a team meeting every Wednesday from 9.30am - 11am. This is a part time role (2/3 days per week).

Depending on their location, the placement volunteer will most likely work remotely from home. The volunteering hours are negotiable to balance your needs and what can be achieved in the role.

The British Red Cross is a volunteer-led humanitarian organisation that helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We enable vulnerable people at home and overseas to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their own communities. And when the crisis is over, we help people recover and move on with their lives.

Your role as a placement volunteer will help make a great contribution to the work of the British Red Cross. You will take responsibility for achieving specific objectives that are agreed with you within one of the various departments across the UK. You will have a real responsibility and place in the department, bringing some of your skills and experience to the role; you will also have the chance to develop workplace skills.

While we don’t offer voluntary internships, we are happy for you to describe yourself as an intern on your CV, if you feel that would be helpful.

About the role:

• We have an exciting and new opportunity for a Social Media Support Officer to join our Voices Network Team.
• You will be responsible for co-producing newsletter, updating VOICES Network Microsite, Instagram, X and other social media platforms.
• Reporting to the Voices Network Project Manager, you will be responsible for providing essential and reliable administrative support to the whole VOICES Team.
• You should have:
• An understanding of issues impacting refugees, people seeking asylum and their communities.
• An interest in social media, particularly twitter and Instagram for campaigning and awareness-raising.
• An understanding of advocacy and how citizens can be supported to influence policy processes, both locally and nationally.

The purpose of this role is to enhance the visibility of the Voices Network through social media platforms. The placement volunteer will support both the Voices Network staff as well as VOICES Ambassadors in updating and refreshing existing Voices Network Microsite, Instagram and X pages.

We keep experts by experience (VOICES Ambassadors) at the heart of what we do, working to understand their needs and strengths the difference we make. With a commitment to co-production, you will be working with project participants (VOICES Ambassadors) in an equal way, sharing influence, skills and experience to design, deliver and monitor activities.

By the completion of your volunteering placement, you will have co-created contents and published VOICES Newsletters. You will have supported Voices Ambassadors posting their stories, views and experiences over the refreshed social media platforms such as Microsite, Instagram and X.

Typical tasks in the placement may include:

• Supporting VOICES Ambassadors to post on the VOICES X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Blog. Coming up with ideas for content and helping to execute them.
• Producing newsletter, updating VOICES Network Microsite, Instagram, X and other social media platforms.
• Providing admin support to the Voices Network Team as required such as checking Engagement Request Form log, responding to emails and recording information in spreadsheets and word documents.
• Using WhatsApp and email to communicate opportunities to VOICES Ambassadors.
• Contacting and supporting VOICES Ambassadors.
• Attend weekly VOICES Team meetings as well as other relevant meetings as required.

We would like you to have/be able to:

• Ability to work as part of a team within what can sometimes be a high-pressure environment.
• Good organisational and planning skills.
• Good communication skills in written and verbal English.
• Commitment to co-production - working with VOICES Ambassadors in an equal way, sharing influence, skills and experience to design, deliver and monitor activities.
• An understanding of issues impacting refugees, people seeking asylum and their communities.
• Good IT skills including email, word processing, power point, database and spreadsheet packages.
• An interest in social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for campaigning and awareness-raising.

Bursary Scheme

The British Red Cross offers a bursary scheme to those placement volunteers from low-income households. Eligibility will be determined through a separate application process open to all short-listed candidates. All British Red Cross volunteers are entitled to out-of-pocket reasonable expenses. For this scheme we are defining low-income households as:

Inside London: Living with family or partner £25,000 or under. Living independently £22.500 or under

Outside London: Living with family or partner £18,500 or under. Living independently £16,500 or under

Young People and this role

Our placement volunteer opportunities are open to people at different stages of their career, aged 15 or above. Whether you’re student, a recent graduate or someone with more experience looking for a career change, we would be happy to hear from you.

Anyone can volunteer with the Red Cross from the age of 15. An individual risk assessment, parental consent and safeguarding considerations will be required for those aged 15 – 17. The nature of the activities specific to your intern opportunity may mean that you need to be 18 years or older.

Diversity

We welcome applications from people of different backgrounds, experience and circumstances. We seek to ensure that our organisation and our services are relevant and accessible to all, with equality, diversity and fairness at the core of what we do. We invite applications from individuals regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or political belief and are committed to promoting fair participation and equality of opportunity for all of our applicants.

The British Red Cross is committed to being inclusive, with a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences – including disabled and ethnic minority candidates. We value fresh perspectives and insights gained by involving and welcoming people from the widest possible diversity of background, culture and experience. This is to contribute to the breadth of experience we need to respond to people in crisis.