ALDI SHOREDITCH

Community Food Hub is a project started by Hackney charity Children With Voices in light of COVID-19 to support the vulnerable, homeless, struggling families and the elderly in our community in this difficult time. We collect donation surplus food to feed and support our community. We support families and children who face holiday hunger, and who, now more then ever, are having a difficult time due to lack of food, lack of access to benefits or difficulty accessing the right support. We need volunteers to help run our Community Food Hubs – dropping of food to the vulnerable and the self isolating, collecting our food donations from various locations, and in the day-to-day running of our hubs. We run 2 hubs around Hackney and are providing 60+ packages weekly, some for large families with small children. These families need our support and are the most at risk and vulnerable in our community – those with children who are carers to their parents, those whose first language may not be English, those who are self-isolating, those with mental health problems. We help by providing them with what they need to survive. We support our local communities.

Are you looking for a fresh challenge that makes a positive difference to the lives of Young People throughout the UK? At Childline we are actively recruiting new volunteers. Please contact childlinelondonengagement@nspcc.org.uk for further details. What will I be doing? • Your weekly shift will consist of 3hrs30mns counselling, sandwiched between a 15mns brief before your shift and a 30mns debrief post shift. This is to ensure that you can start and finish your shift with any support you require from your Supervisors. • On shift you will take contacts from Young People who rely on the service that Childline offers. Childline is not there to solve problems, we are a listening service for Young People and in each contact your role is to engage the Young Person, explore their situation and to support them in deciding their next steps. • The contacts you would take from Young People can come in 3 ways. Traditional phone call contacts, live chats via instant response typed messaging or less commonly via 'PIBS' which are essentially emails sent by Young People in the knowledge the response will not be 'live' and instant. What impact will this have? • Childline is a unique service, valued greatly by the Young People who contact us. • It provides a safe place for Young People to talk confidentially to our Volunteer Counsellors, an option that many of them do not have elsewhere. • Young People rely on us being there for them 24/7. In an average month, Childline London takes approx. 1,500 live chats, 900 voice calls and 300 PIBs. • However, the demand for the service often outstrips the supply as Young People who desperately need our service cannot always get through. • That is why we are actively recruiting new volunteers to be able to meet the need of all Young People who are in distress and need the support that Childline provides. Training • Childline offers a full 12 week online training programme to new volunteers. This consists of one 4 hour session per week, which is similar to the shift commitment we ask for post training. • During the training, you will meet other Volunteers in your cohort and have access to your 2 dedicated Childline Trainers. • As part of the training, you will also go in person to the London Base for observation and mentored shifts which give you a face to face insight into how the Counselling Room works. • You will also have access to a dedicated Volunteer Coordinator to give you a London Base tour (optional) and generally be on hand to answer any questions or queries you may have - big or small, if they matter to you they matter because you are giving your time to volunteer and Childline wants to offer you every level of support. • Once you pass through training and become a qualified Childline Volunteer Counsellor, the development opportunities do not stop

Come Out of Hiding: The Lighthouse Network CIC (COOH) is a Christian, BME-led, community-rooted social enterprise dedicated to nurturing, equipping, and empowering whole and healthy young people, families, and underserved communities. Through our faith-inspired, holistic, and family-first “Lighthouse Approach,” we provide mental, emotional, spiritual, and practical support that transforms lives from the inside out. Founded in 2015 and registered as a Community Interest Company in 2018, we have built a growing, trusted presence in our community. Our work is delivered through two core strands: Family Matters and The Lighthouse Academy which together form a bridge between support, leadership development, and legacy-building. As we embark on our 10-year journey in 2025, we are in a critical growth phase, aiming to build capacity for long-term sustainability and legacy. Our mission is for every young person, family, and community to experience holistic wholeness and wellbeing: spirit, soul and body. The UK is facing overlapping crises impacting its young people and families: 1. Escalating Youth Mental Health Crisis: Around 1 in 5 young people (8-25) have a diagnosable mental health disorder, yet only 40% access effective treatment, leaving a significant gap in support, particularly in low-income communities. 2. Profound Social Isolation: 1.9 million Gen Z youth (16-24) report chronic loneliness, a higher rate than any other demographic. This is exacerbated by the loss of vital community spaces. 3. Gaps in Community Support Infrastructure: Since 2012, 53% of local authority-run youth centres have closed, removing crucial hubs for peer interaction and safe spaces. 4. Compounding Socioeconomic Challenges: Food insecurity affects 15% of UK households, with 60% of food-insecure homes reducing fruit purchases. Youth homelessness in London has seen a 92% increase since 2016, with 20,200 cases reported in 2023 alone, driven by family breakdowns and lack of housing options. These systemic issues create a critical need for holistic, community-driven interventions that address immediate needs while fostering long-term resilience and wellbeing. Our Solution: The Lighthouse Approach At COOH, we provide faith-inspired, holistic-based support with a family-first approach. We believe transformation begins in homes, serving the whole household, not just the child. Our programmes address mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellbeing. Our work is delivered through two key arms: 1. Family Matters: Focused on rebuilding families and communities through: Let’s Get Fed Community Fridge and Mayor’s Fund for London Holiday Food Programme, Let's Get Messy Creative Mental Health & Wellbeing Sessions, Let’s Get Moving Physical Activity Sessions, Let’s Level Up Career Leadership & Employability Sessions, Annual Bank Holiday Undivided Family Community Summer Festival 2. The Lighthouse Leadership Academy (TLC): Raising Whole Leaders of Tomorrow