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Volunteer

We’re a volunteer led charity with volunteer trustees directing our work.

Volunteers assist our music practitioners in the delivery of our in person and online music sessions. 

And volunteers work behind the scenes, with our Office Team. Keeping us online, helping us to gather feedback and reviewing our services. 

Many of our volunteers are Graduate Emerging Leaders, having completed our year long Emerging Leaders programme. 

People have found us in other ways too, and volunteer across the country. Both in person and remotely. 

We have a weekly programme of online sessions, that volunteers can join to help manage the Zoom room and note observations.  

Volunteers also support a variety of our in-person sessions, from choir sessions to nature inspired sessions outdoors, to community sessions co-designed with the Learning Disabled people attending. But they are less frequent, some monthly, some less so.

So if you are looking to give a little time, would like to volunteer virtually, or just a few times a year, we could be the right organisation for you!

We have a ‘frequently asked questions’ page, an enquiry form and a Volunteer Coordinator who is happy to chat!             

Telephone: 07886650358 Email: natalieferguson@soundabout.org.uk.

Current Opportunities

Choir Assistants

in 

Gloucestershire

Oxford

Wiltshire

Our choirs welcome all voices and try to remove barriers to participation for Learning Disabled people with complex support needs. Choir members contribute to the sessions in a variety of ways, including; singing or vocalisations, making sounds with an instrument or sound maker, using technology, moving, dancing and signing.

Volunteers support the music practitioners running the session with: 

  • Room set-up
  • Welcoming and registering choir members
  • Supporting choir members to make their own sound contributions
  • Capturing photos and videos
  • Serving refreshment
  • Gathering feedback
  • Re-setting the room  

 

Sounds Virtual Assistants

Remote volunteering

We run virtual music making sessions almost every day of the week!

We have volunteers joining the sessions to:

  • Moderate the virtual rooms
  • Make notes and observations
  • Provide session support

 

Sounds Wild Assistants

In Bristol, Sandwell, Coventry, Goudhurst. 

These sessions are delivered outdoors, encouraging a connection with nature through music, sounds, and natural multi-sensory resources. 

Each session requires the creation of an outdoors session space and tends to have more props than other sessions.

Volunteers can help with the set up and stay to join in with the session, before helping with the pack down!

There’s more about our Sounds Wild sessions here. 

Sounds Together Assistants

In Didcot and Birmingham 

These sessions are co-designed with the group, based around their interests and ambitions.

Volunteers can assist the music practitioners leading the sessions through:

  • Setting up the room.
  • Welcoming people.
  • Helping with the use of accessible instruments, technology, and multi-sensory resources.
  • Serving refreshments.
  • Packing down the room.
  • Sharing obeservations of the session. 

You can read more about our Sounds Together Sessions here. 

Events Support

Assist our office team and music practitioners in delivering one-off and annual events. 

They are wonderfully unique events to be part of!

  • Events volunteers help with: 
  • Setting up and packing down the space.
  • Meet and greeting attendees.
  • Making sure everyone can participate in the event.

Our next large events will be our winter concerts and ‘Big Get Togethers’:

  • South West, Westonbirt Arboretum on 5th December.
  • West Midlands, Rowheath Pavilion on 12th December.
  • Oxford and beyond, Garsington Opera Studios on 13th December.

Graduate Emerging Leader Opportunites

We have a list of volunteer opportunities that we update regularly and share with our Graduate Emerging Leaders. The Emerging Leaders course they have each completed  prepares them well for the roles. 

These opportunities include:

  • Song writing
  • Backing track making
  • Leading online sessions
  • Leading parts of in-person sessions
  • Feeding back on our projects, through an Experts by Experience group. 

You can find out more about our Emerging Leaders programme here. 

 

 

Music-making assistants

Wolverhampton

Joining a weekly club, running Wednesdays during term time. Volunteer assistants will:

  • Help with set up the room, with chairs, instruments, sound kit.
  • Welcome people.
  • Assist in music making, sharing sounds and ideas. 
  • Help with session pack down.
  • Feed into session reflection and development.

You can find out more about our Wolverhampton music sessions here.

Meet Soundabout Volunteer Barrie

Barrie has been helping us behind the scenes for five years and has kindly shared some words on his experience.

What does your volunteer role entail?

‘I’ve been working with Soundabout to keep their website updated and refreshed with new stories and interactive content that allows people to engage with us remotely. This includes helping to manage our social media presence and to grow the number of people we reach, and help with messages, ideas on things to do, live & stored videos, etc.’

What have been your magic moments?

‘I attended an Inclusive Choir event and spent some time talking to an extremely shy person before the session started. At the end of an hour singing and playing instruments she ran over to me full of confidence and happiness and high-fived me – seeing this change in such a short period of time is a moment I’ll never forget. Since we launched our Facebook Live events I’ve loved watching all the comments roll in from families taking part and explaining how they are engaging with the practitioner. Seeing videos of them squealing with delight and photos of so many happy faces is a genuinely life-affirming event.’