Please see below volunteering opportunity which may be of interest (note – please contact the LIFE foundation direct with any queries)
The LIFE Foundation work in the Oltenia region in Romania with children and adults living in government care. The people we work with all have some form of developmental delay, physical disability and/or learning disability and many display institutionalised behaviours due to spending many years in state care. The aim of this project is to work with the children and adults in a way which provides them with some much-needed stimulation and at the same time aids their development. We run the project year-round with local staff and volunteers, but in the summer, we recruit volunteers to provide additional support for the children, adults and carers by running small activities and games, doing sensory activities, using Intensive Interaction and generally providing some much needed love and attention to the adults and children! We also recruit qualified health professionals for our Specialist trips to Oltenia, where a multi disciplinary team spend time training carers, and assessing needs and suggesting care plans for the children or adults.
We are looking for volunteers who can spare 2 weeks of their summer vacation for a challenging, exciting and rewarding experience. We welcome applicants who are passionate about supporting people in vulnerable situations, who can work well in diverse teams and who are keen to widen their experience and develop skills. After applying and undergoing a successful interview we provide training for all volunteers. As we are a charity, we ask for all volunteers to cover their trip costs plus a donation towards our organisation which ensures the sustainability of the project all year round. We keep the costs to a minimum and strongly encourage volunteers to fundraise: we can provide advice and guidance as all of the committee have done lots of fundraising in the past!
Volunteers benefit from the projects in many ways; they are given the opportunity to experience different cultures, meet people from very different backgrounds and gain valuable work experience in educational and social care environments. The project is unique, challenging and extremely rewarding, and is a fantastic learning experience. We have volunteers who return year on year as they enjoy the trips so much and form real bonds with the children and adults we work with, as well as with local volunteers and staff.
To read more and apply to volunteer please visit our website (www.thelifefoundation.co.uk) or feel free to contact our project co-ordinator with any questions you may have on olt@thelifefoundation.co.uk
