Volunteering
Interested to volunteer with the Highgate Society?
Volunteering can offer so much. So long as what you are interested in would be making Highgate a Better Place to Live and Work, the possibilities are almost endless. You could get started by joining the rota to serve at our Saturday Coffee Mornings, or delivering buzz magazine in your street. But, whatever it is we will always be driven by what you want to do. We pride ourselves on being a supportive a friendly organisation and know people have other commitments in their lives so it’s your choice how much you get involved.
Some examples of areas where we are looking for volunteers now are below, but there are many more and our website will give you a sense of the range of our activities.
Groups
Our many public-interest, member-interest and event-based groups (some of them affiliated groups) are always keen to welcome new members, including: Bridge Club, Buzz magazine (editors, advertising, invoicing, distribution), Carols in Pond Square, Educational Events, French Circle, Highgate Village Christmas Lights, IT team, Life Drawing Group, Licensing, Members and volunteers team, Music in Highgate Homes, Poetry Group, Press and media, Publications, Social events, Social media, Sunday Lunchtime Concerts, Sustainable Living, Traffic and Travel group, Trees and Open Spaces, Visit Highgate Group, and Watercolour Group.
Audio Visual
We are looking for additional support to operate the AV equipment at our programme of events and occasional private events. These usually take place in evenings and require 2 to 3 hours attendance. Tuition is provided but familiarity with AV equipment and Zoom would be helpful.
buzz admin
Buzz magazine advertisements and invoicing – Help is urgently needed approaching new advertisers in the area and also with the invoicing of the advertisers in each issue. Generally approximately 25 – 30 invoices, four times a year.
buzz distributors
The Society’s quarterly magazine is distributed by volunteers, each taking responsibility for collecting and then distributing the magazine in streets nearby to them. Typically two-three hours every three months.
Coffee and Computers
This drop-in facility aims to help anyone who needs some basic support in using their devices, whether phones, tablets or laptops. Volunteers are not IT experts, but fairly confident in the basic operations of their devices, such as managing emails, online searching, use of QRs. Volunteers share their experience and often learn something themselves. It is an informal event, and we aim to have some group sharing as well as offering one-to-one help. We meet at the Highgate Society one Monday a month, and at Jacksons Lane one Wednesday a month. Our sessions are in the mornings 10.30 – 12.00. Your commitment can be flexible – once or twice a month, or less. We invite anyone interested to have a conversation with us.
Coffee Morning Hosts
This Saturday morning volunteering role involves typically three hours every six months. It is a chance to meet members and Saturday morning visitors to the Society.
Community Projects
Volunteer opportunities exist for all-comers to help look after our public areas. We invite volunteers to join our planned tidy up events and guerrilla gardening events, become a ‘champion’ for a particular green space near you, help with watering in the dry season, or simply to grow and donate cuttings/plants from your own garden. We also look after three public local defibrillators, and the 10 or so Highgate Society outside noticeboards, some of which are ‘open access’ boards for private and business residents to use. If other projects are suggested, we are very open to considering these, but there needs to be sufficient resources – volunteer and finance – before acting. We meet for an hour about every six weeks on a Saturday morning.
Events Communications
Events/communications co-ordinator(s) – coordinate scheduling of events and activities, help on publicity and communications and managing the process of putting on successful events. The co-ordinator(s) would work alongside the Chair.
Finance and Administration
Someone who would help both the Society’s officers, including the Chair and Treasurer, organising record keeping, online support, and routine finance transactions.
Hall management
Hall management / maintenance – This would involve working with the existing team on maintenance aspects for the Society’s hall. It would be also useful to have somebody with an architectural or building management background who could help with some aspects of the maintenance to organise roofers, decorators etc
IT & Online Support
The Highgate Society may be all about people and community, but it needs a broad base of volunteer expertise to function. This includes technical support for our events both in our hall and elsewhere, and online skills with a range of tools including Wordpress which drives our website. Support with skills transfer may mean you learn something new along the way, as well as help the Highgate Society to run smoothly. If you have an interest in tech and may be prepared to volunteer some time do let us know.
Planning Committee
Are you committed to protecting and preserving Highgate’s historic environment and shaping its future? The Highgate Society Planning Committee is looking for volunteers, particularly with experience in architecture, heritage, town planning, sustainable building practices, construction/property law and tree protection and care. The committee reviews planning applications from Haringey and Camden Councils, submitting comments where needed, and engages with planning consultations at local, London, and national levels. We are also a campaigning group and work closely with residents, businesses, council officers, local councillors, and other community groups. We need people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and commit to reviewing and commenting on several applications each month as well as attending monthly meetings (which take place on weekday evenings with refreshments provided).
Get in touch to find out more!
Whatever you choose to do, we will help you get started.
If you’re interested in helping, please get in touch using our contact page, or by coming to our Saturday Coffee morning between 10.30 and 12.00.
