Website DVA, Derbyshire Voluntary Action
We’ve learnt from our Community Hub that activity and structure enable people who have been isolated to connect with others. By facilitating others to share their skills and find purpose, we can support people to flourish, and for our community impact to grow. Derbyshire Voluntary Action (DVA) are looking for a number of co-facilitators for the activities we already run, and ideas for new activities if you have a skill to share.
For the groups to function as a positive experience, and feel inclusive and accessible, the group facilitator role is essential. Organizing a collective activity and ensuring that everyone is supporting each other to take part really helps.
Sometimes people can become a little excitable (can’t we all!) and might occasionally need reminding about appropriate language and behaviour. The group facilitator also identifies strengths in others and encourages people to share the responsibility of teaching skills, managing resources, and clearing up after sessions. The more purposeful the session, and linked in with central Hub activities, the more opportunity there is for people to feel motivated to step up, and push themselves outside of their comfort zone to flourish.
Key responsibilities include:
● Leading an allocated weekly activity: Being at the Hub for the start of a weekly allocated activity to welcome attendees, and staying until everything is cleared up at the end. Making sure attendees feel included in the conversation and activity is key.
● Joining in with the activities: Where teaching and helping allows, taking part with participants really helps people to feel collective and empowered
● Escalating concerns to the DVA team: If concerns about behaviour in the group can’t be resolved easily, it’s important that it is escalated to a DVA staff member
● Staying up to date with Hub Guidance and Procedures : Referring to The Hub Handbook and supporting others to do so also.
● Managing resources: Our budget for materials and space to store them is quite limited and therefore we try to attract donations and recycled materials where we possibly can. This requires organization and leadership from the group facilitator.
We are particularly looking for people with an interest and ability to share, related to the group activity. Great communication skills, and a warm and friendly manner are important alongside problem solving skills. We need people who are willing to support diversity and inclusive approaches.