Recruitment Is Now Closed

Thank you we have been inundated with applications and will be contacting candidates in due course. 

 

Are you…

  • over 18 years of age?
  • able to offer a minimum of three hours per week at a regular time?
  • able to commit to a minimum of 2 years?

If yes, then we would welcome your help.

Who are we?

ARC is primarily staffed by volunteers. Each volunteer has been carefully selected and fully trained to help young people and adults who are having difficulties in their lives.

For more information about ARC, please click here.

What we offer our clients

  • A warm, friendly welcome
  • Confidential counselling for young people and adults in the Wokingham district
  • Help with finding ways to cope with difficulties
  • Peer mentoring project – we recruit, train and support sixth formers from secondary schools in Wokingham to act as pupil support

What would volunteering involve?

ARC is a growing organisation, with over 50 volunteers. It is a registered charity and is supported by Wokingham Borough Council and other donors. It is an autonomous voluntary organisation with its own Management Committee.

Our premises are next to Wokingham Youth and Community Center in Wokingham. We also operate from Woodley (young people only) , as well as providing counsellors to most secondary schools and some primary schools in the area. We also have qualified youth counsellors based at GP surgeries across the borough.

Most of the work at ARC is done by volunteers who usually commit themselves to a minimum of two years for three hours a week. Counsellors in training are only allowed to work with adult clients and, after appropriate training and with their supervisor’s approval, are required to work with at least a 16+ years old. Qualified counsellors who had appropriate training can request to work with young people and apply for jobs in schools and surgeries.  Most volunteers choose to undertake a Counselling Certificate or Diploma course via a college or university, but there are several other ways of being involved. For example, as well as counsellors, we sometimes recruit volunteer support workers, management team members and office staff.

Arc provides their counsellors with free Supervision, free mandatory Safeguarding training and DBS check. Further training and other opportunities will also be available to you

The style of counselling used at ARC is active client-centred – in other words, the counsellor helps the client to work out what they want and how to get it. They do this in a non-judgemental and supportive way, always accepting what the client decides. We do not have a ‘message’ for clients; we are not anti anything or pro anything else – we are simply there for our clients. This approach is used in all our work with clients whether it is counselling, information work or meeting client needs in other ways.

Where are we situated?

Our main office is situated in a separate annex next to Wokingham Youth and Community Centre at 35 Reading Road, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 1EG.

Free parking and disabled access is available.

To apply for a volunteer counselling position:

Please download, complete and return the following forms to: office@arcweb.org.uk

Download the volunteer application form (Word)

and

Download the criminal background disclosure (police check) form (PDF)

Please note: when you apply to be a volunteer (after filling out the application and criminal background disclosure forms), you will be asked to attend an interview. If successful, you will be invited to attend further training and induction. Please be aware that our interview and Induction days are Mondays and we are unable to provide alternative days.