The Christmas Dinner Middlesbrough & Teesside

Volunteers needed to help young people leaving the care system in Middlesbrough to enjoy a traditional Christmas day.

We believe everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy a Christmas with presents, dinner and lots of fun.

What You'll Do:

We’re looking for up to 30 volunteers to help out with a range of tasks on 24 December, to set up our venue and help prepare the meal.

We will require the same number of volunteers again on Christmas Day to keep our guests company and make them feel welcome, encourage them to participate in any activities, serve the meals and clear up at the end of the day.

Volunteers don’t have to be available to volunteer on all these dates, or in fact all day on any of the dates.

There are no specific qualifications or experience you need to volunteer with The Christmas Dinner but you need to be reliable and have a friendly, positive attitude.

We would also like to hear from people who have experienced care themselves; this could be residential care, foster care or adoption.

We’re looking for people to fulfil the following roles:

Helpers:

It takes a lot of work to get the venue ready for the Day, and our volunteer Helpers play a hugely important role in ensuring everything is set up and ready. We’re looking for volunteers who are able to join us on Christmas Eve to hang decorations, dress trees, prepare vegetables, wrap presents, and many more little jobs along the way. Helpers need to be prepared to muck in and get their hands dirty; they should be fun loving, generous and warm of spirit. We need people who are willing to throw themselves into any task that needs doing. Which will include singing the odd Christmas Carol or two!

Hosts

On the day, our volunteer Hosts play a hugely important role in ensuring the day goes smoothly. We’re looking for volunteers who are able to join us on Christmas Day to meet and greet our guests, to give out presents, to lead games and activities and many more little jobs along the way. Hosts also need to be prepared to muck in and get their hands dirty; they should be fun loving, generous and warm of spirit. We need people who are good and listening, but who can also sing and dance and make a lot of noise.

24 December

Location: TBC (central Middlesbrough)

From 10am

Volunteers to help in the kitchen – kitchen volunteers please bring your own apron and peeler/sharp knife and chopping board if you can.

From 11am

Volunteers are needed to

decorate the venue, set tables etc,
set up games/movie stations etc.

From 2pm onwards:

Volunteers are needed to wrap presents and write Christmas cards to individual guests
Volunteers willing to do any last-minute running around/shopping etc.

Christmas Day

Meet at the venue, at 09:00 (catering team) to finish cooking the meal, prepare some nibbles for guests to enjoy on arrival. Other volunteers to arrive from 10am
Meet and greet guests arriving from around 11:30am
Ensure all guests feel welcome, are shown where all amenities in the venue are etc

Why You'll Love It:

This project is the most amazing experience to be part of. You’ll be supporting some of our most vulnerable young people at a time when they need it most. Christmas, as for any child in care, can be the hardest time: when the festive lights serve only to expose what is missing, and will never be there. “It can feel like an incredibly risky time, that makes these young people want to fold themselves into themselves. All the memories are of Christmases that haven’t been good.”

What You'll Learn:

You’ll learn how easy it is to make a massive difference in the lives of these young people – the mere fact that people have given up Christmas with their own family and/or friends to spend the day with them means the world to them and can help them in the future. Young people in care are acutely aware of how they’re not love or pleasure for anyone – they’re an obligation. A social worker is just that – a worker. She or he is being paid. However brilliant the relationship with a social worker is, for them it’s a job. The Christmas Dinner plays a small yet vitally important part in giving these young people a day/experience that will give them a positive sense of how things can look and feel.

What We're Looking For:

Committed, reliable people who are willing to do what it takes to help us deliver the best possible Christmas Day experience for these young people. Care Leavers who have never had a good Christmas, won’t know what it should look and feel like unless they attend one of our events. We need people with skills that they can offer – from face-painting to beauty treatments. Above all, Hosts need to be willing to work hard and turn their hand to anything – just like a host at any decent party! All volunteers will be required to attend a briefing session on 23 or 24 December

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