Approved: 2nd April 2022
Version: 1.0
Content owner: Volunteer experience

Everyone who gives their time freely to help with Sew Ready is called a volunteer.

Not all volunteers are members of Sew Ready and the purpose of this policy is to explain who is, or who can be a member of Sew Ready.

It also outlines Sew Ready’s expectations of you as an adult member, and the benefits of being a member.

We have two categories of member - adult member and young member. This policy is for adult members. Adult membership of Sew Ready is open to all & delivers services everyone.
 

Definitions
Adult member – anyone over 18 years of age who is a member of Sew Ready.

Young member – anyone who is under 18 years of age, who is a member of Sew Ready.

Volunteer - anyone over 18 years of age who gives their time to Sew Ready without being paid.

This covers all volunteering roles within Sew Ready – including those involving working directly with young members and those involving no direct contact with young members.


Who can be an adult member?
There are lots of different volunteering roles, at all levels of Sew Ready. All roles are valuable to the organisation but for some roles volunteers must be a member. 
 
And you can find more information about specific volunteer roles in Sew Ready pages .
 
Membership is at the discretion of Sew Ready in line with the recruitment and vetting policy.
What does Sew Ready expect of me as a member?

As an adult member and a volunteer of Sew Ready you have an important responsibility – to be a role model to young people in your care. So, you are expected to take a lead in reflecting Sew Ready’s values in the community. As a member:
 

• You must go through the recruitment process and keep relevant disclosure checks up to date.

• You must agree to have your details stored on the Sew Ready membership system and other relevant digital platforms, keep these up to date and have a working email address that only you can access (this helps us keep admin costs down, so we can invest more elsewhere. If you need help with this you can contact us).

• You must read, understand and follow the Volunteer Code of Conduct. 

• Annual subscriptions must be paid for all members.

 

What happens if I don’t fulfil these expectations?
If you are unable to fulfil any of the above expectations, a commissioner will follow the managing concerns about adult volunteers policy and procedures to offer support and guidance. If necessary, a sanction may be imposed on your membership.


What are the benefits of being a member?
Being a member means that you have the opportunity to build a network of like-minded people and lifelong friends that will support you in a shared passion.
 

• Members receive the Sew Ready magazine if they opt in.

• Members may receive offers and discounts from our national partners.

 

Sew Ready policies and procedures are reviewed and updated from time to time as part of a review cycle.