Volunteering is a great way to lend your support to Basis. We are so grateful to all of our volunteers, and wouldn’t get by without them!

Becoming a Trustee

Basis Yorkshire are looking to continue building their board of trustees to help to improve the lives of the people we work with.

There are two streams to our work:

• Basis supports indoor and street sex workers who identify as women and sex workers at risk of gender-based violence.
• Basis supports young people of all genders and adult women who are at risk of, are being, or have been sexually exploited.

Our purpose is to support people to feel empowered by offering information, support, and options. Our work is driven by a sound evidence base, and we ensure our services are designed and delivered by the women and young people we support by putting their voices and experience at the centre of everything we do. We challenge stigma and inequality of access to services for everyone we work with.

Vacancies

We are looking for a new Treasurer to support our finance team with strategic oversight through participation on the Finance Working Group, overseeing board reporting in relation to finances and offering insights into key financial consequences of strategic decisions the board takes. Please see our Treasurer role profile for more information about the role.

For further information or an informal chat please contact our Co-Chair Rob Milligan or CEO, Moya Woolven, c/o  info-basis@basisyorkshire.org.uk

To apply, please send the Expression of Interest form to info-basis@basisyorkshire.org.uk

Informal interviews will take place as applications are received, and successful candidates will be invited to observe the next board meeting.

To find out more please download our Trustee Information Pack.

Other volunteering opportunities at Basis include:

• Drop-in-support (Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon 1-3) for Basis (Adult Women) – currently recruiting
• Outreach support: (Mon, Wed and Fri evenings/night) for Basis Sex Work – not currently needed

How to apply: 

1. Please read our Basis Volunteer Expectations and Agreements page before applying

2. Fill out our Volunteer Application Form 

What do current volunteers say?

Many of our volunteers stay with us for a large number of years and find it very rewarding.  Here are some quotes from our current volunteers

“I have been volunteering at Basis for over two years now. It’s nice to be able to help women out be that by being a friendly ear or just by making a hot chocolate on a cold December night. I’ve met a lot of lovely women doing outreach, I feel like I am making a difference and I enjoy being part of Basis and working alongside women who are working for a greater good – through education and awareness raising and helping women when they need it. I feel valued working in such a lovely team and all the staff and volunteers are great to get along with. Doing outreach makes me appreciate my own situation and the opportunities I have to try and help others. During my time at Basis, I have also done some fundraising by taking part in Leeds triathlon (both in a team and on my own) to raise funds for this brilliant cause!“

“One of the things I love about volunteering is that no matter what women are going through on the street, they can come on to the van and be treated with compassion and respect. One night when I was on outreach, a woman came on the van feeling really fed up and upset, by the time she left the van she was laughing and smiling; this makes volunteering really worthwhile.”

Why not watch this short video about volunteering at Basis?

Lived Experience

Our application form is based on best practice guidance on safer recruitment. However, we do understand that for adults with lived experience, the form may contain some sections which may not fully translate your experience and skills. As such, we have created the guidance below (based on input from people with lived experience) for completing an application.

To encourage more people with lived experience to volunteer in our organisation, and recognising the rigidity of formal applications, we will automatically grant any sex workers with current and/or recent sex work experience an interview. However, we do encourage you to complete the form, taking the guidance into account, as we welcome reading more about your experience and interest in applying for the role in case this is missed in the interview.

Guidance for those with lived experience:
Lived experience is a valid reason for lack of formal employment (“gaps”). Please indicate where this has been the case; we regard lived experience as part of your relevant employment history. If you do not wish to state in writing that you are/have been a sex worker, please either call us after sending your application to indicate you are a person with lived experience and/or state ‘RED UMBRELLA’ at the top of your application form.

We understand an “employers’ reference” may be difficult. If you are unable to offer a reference as per the guidance, please offer an alternative reference with an explanation of their relation and the rationale, such as a co-worker, close friend, family member etc.
While most roles require a DBS check, this does not apply to any criminalisation relating to sex work, including cautions etc.
Please note that we keep applications and CVs in our system for up to 12 months, which is in line with recommended data regulations.