Become a VoluntQueer!

Interested in getting more involved in Bristol LGB Forum? Want to help our community grow?  Got a skill or talent you’d like to share or develop?  Want to build-up your CV and life experience for work or education?  Then you’re just who we’re looking for!

Bristol LGB Forum is looking for people interested in volunteering some of their time or skills to help make things happen that we wouldn't otherwise be able to do.

This can be a one-off, like giving out leaflets, a once in a while event, like stewarding at a conference, or a regular commitment, anything from once a year to once a week.

We need to know beforehand what you can do, how often you'd like to do it and we have to ask that you sign some forms to say that you will respect confidentiality and abide by Data protection as well as Health and Safety laws and regulations.

What kind of things does the Forum need help with?

Anything and everything, whatever skills volunteers have may be invaluale to us: public speaking, bookkeeping, IT, journalism, performing arts, video or music recording, graphic art or administration.  Even if you have no skills, you can still help: we’re likely to want people tostaff stalls at Pride or Freshers' Fairs, help in the office with mailshots for meetings or postal ballots, help distributing leaflets and a host of other things.

Volunteering isn't like a job nor does it lead to becoming an employee, so we feel it's only fair you should be the one to decie what you'd like to do.

We are not allowed by law to pay any money, apart from your expenses and, if you are volunteering over 5 hours, reimburse you for your lunch expenses, but we are allowed to give you training to carry out tasks you have volunteered for.

You'll get a chance to find out what the forum does, meet  some new people and gains valuable experience for your CV.  The Forum will be delighted to give you a reference for jobs or FE/HE courses you may be applying for.

How does it work?

If you’re interested in volunteering for the forum, or even thinking about it, head over to our VoluntQueers page, which has more information. Once you’ve done this, you’ll receive every email sent out by the Forum Administrator and Volunteer Co-ordinator, inviting you into the office for a chat.  There will be forms to fill in and you'll need to bring ID and some proof of address, if you should decide to come onboard.

We’re also hoping to start running some social events for forum volunteers, probably once every couple of months, to give you a chance to get to know each other a bit better.

So as to give you an idea of what volunteering with the Forum entails, you can download our Confidentiality and Volunteer Policies, as well as the Volunteer Agreement from http://www.bristol-lgb-forum.org.uk/documents. 

Please be sure to read the Disclaimer at the foot of this page.

Personal Data.

The Forum takes its responsibility towards both, Volunteers and Members very seriously; while  we try to match volunteering activities to the personal profile, skills and developmental aspirations of our Volunteers, we also do our utmost to ensure that our members' Privacy is protected at all times.

For this reason we distinguish between 'sensitive' and 'non-sensitive' activities and tasks.

A) Sensitive activities and tasks directly relate to Membership and require access to personal information, like addresses for mail-outs, email addresses for sending out eBulletins, creating and administering website or eForum users, administering our Facebook, WordPress or other Social Networking profile and other activities of this kind, therefore:

1. In compliance with the terms of the Data Protection Act 1999 (England and Wales) we require Volunteers carrying out tasks in this category to sign a Confidentiality Agreement that sets out the procedures laid down in handling personal data (the detailed procedures are in the process of being updated, following changes to our website and launch of our social networking sites).
2. As part of our own Confidentiality Policy and procedures, we also ask that Volunteers taking on sensitive tasks either be/become Members, or at least sign a declaration to the effect that they are Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual.

Additionally, we would require some form of ID, like a driving licence photocard or passport, and proof of address, like a utility bill or rent statement less than 3 months old.

B) Non-sensitive activities and tasks are things like website or Newsletter articles, help with tidying up the office, event stewarding, leafleting any other activity that does not involve handling personal information.

If you would like to discuss this further, please email us.

You can also visit our beta-test Moonfruit website for our Volunteers, click on the logo to visit:

So as to avoid any possibility of misunderstandings, please read the disclaimer below, we will ask you to sign a similar declaration when you start volunteering with us.

If you would like to discuss this further, please email us.