Ideas for work - getting off benefit...

[stupidgirl]

I am feeling motivated at the moment, and decided that in order to get my life the way I want it, I am going to have to start being proactive.

I am currently on income support (plus housing and council tax benefits), with no other income. I am living in a privately rented house.

I desperately want to move, but my hb is currently well below the going rate and I can't find anywhere I could afford to rent.

I am a sahm, with a 5yr old and an almost-3 yr old. I am home -educating them.

I plan to childmind, when I move, but the flat we are in now isn't suitable. What else can I do - on the basis that I have chosen to be at home with the children? I have tried selling (ie usborne, phoenix cards) and I'm useless at it.

I'm just trying to amasss ideas of what I could, realistically, do with the children in tow. I have a few ideas of my own, which I am yet to try, but just want to see if there's anything I haven't thought of!

Thanks

Hi Stupidgirl

I work 16 hours from home for a charity. Charities are particularly good at having home-based posts working with volunteers. To do the job, you need to show that you are good at getting on with people, persuading them to volunteer and then persuading them to stick with it. I got in by taking a temp job for a charity who were desperate to find someone quickly, so I then had charity experience. I was very lucky, because I previously hadn't had any charity experience. There is a website called Charityjob.org.uk (?)I think, if you are interested. (By the way, once you get the job, they give you your computer, chair, printer etc.- you don't have to supply these things.) You'd still need childcare for the kids while you were working though - I thought of home educating, but decided that the free babysitting represented by the school was too valuable to pass up!

So what does your job actually involve? Is it computer based, or is there lots of time spent on the telephone??

Thanks, I will check out that website.

A lot of it is phone work and admin. Taking potential volunteer details, sending out the forms to them, chasing up references, sending out application forms for our members, sending out press releases and appeals for new volunteers, and updating our database. Mainly word, access and excel skills, plus internet. Nothing too difficult. Lots of time on the phone.

Thanks for the inspiration and the motivation. I think this might be a good start. The 2 opportunities I am looking at are in childcare - one is in a special needs playgroup and the other working with homeless children. I want to work with children and I think this could be excellent experience to go alongside the required qualifications.

I feel really positive right now - it's just going to be a case of getting it all to slot together

Thanks again for the ideas. I might just contact the NCT too and see if they've got anything going too