Volunteering for Book Bike London by Barking and Dagenham with Street Tag

Join us in building a unique community volunteering last-mile delivery service powered by your physical activity.

Volunteers are invited to play a part in the Barking and Dagenham Book Bike London project, a community volunteering last-mile book delivery service that supports our vulnerable residents in receiving their weekly book orders from our local library services, with the help of local volunteers. We are looking to recruit from our local and nearby communities to enable us to provide a safe and effective service.

The Book Bike London volunteering project is operating through the Street Tag app. treet Tag works with local organisations and service providers to serve as their last-mile logistics partner to access local volunteering residents that fulfill last-mile logistics on their regular physical activities’ routes through the Street Tag app.

The Street Tag app last-mile logistics includes a marketplace technology that facilitates and automates community delivery requests from organisations or service providers with fulfillment demand matched by last-mile local volunteering residents like you.

Below there are 2 main micro-fulfillment centres locations for the Book Bike London project, you will only ever need to collect and drop off books at the nearest library to the delivery address.

(1. Barking Learning Centre, 2. Dagenham Library)

(The other libraries will be introduced at a later date 3. Marks Gate Library, 4. Thames View Library, 5. Valence Library)

We are starting the service with 2 blocks of shifts for you to select one shift block from (this does not mean volunteers are doing deliveries throughout the hours, it simply means volunteers will be available during these shift periods to fulfill an hour or two of community delivery as they head outdoors to do their daily regular physical activities collecting virtual tags using the Street Tag app - please click here to learn more about the Street Tag app). Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of a once-a-week shift block.

We are initially undertaking a pilot with 2 main book micro fulfillment centres of Barking Learning Centre and Dagenham Library.

●      9.30am – 12.30pm (Block 1 volunteer shift, Monday - Friday)

●      12.30pm – 3.30pm (Block 2 volunteer shift, Monday - Friday)

No previous experience is needed if you are a walker or runner volunteer. Cycling volunteers require cycling experience. Volunteers must be between 18 - 69 years and will be required to undergo reference checks.

What support will I have?

Volunteers will be able to access the following:

■      You will be supported to complete individual risk assessments with someone from our team (B&D Library Services)

■      Street Tag Points (800 points per delivery)

■      A bike (if the volunteer doesn't own one. Bikes are only given to volunteers that know how to ride a bike. A volunteer will automatically become the owner of the bike once they have completed 100 deliveries.). The initial launch of the project will be focusing mainly on volunteers who already own a bicycle. Therefore we will be asking volunteers to bring their working bikes or broken bikes to join the network. However, you can join as a walker or runner volunteer to start.

■      Phone holder for cycling volunteers

■      Helmet for cycling volunteers

■      Backpack carrier for the books to be delivered

■      Bike Lock for cycling volunteers

■      Sweatshirt / Tshirt

■      Free bike Maintenance service - care package (fulfilled by our local charity repair partner)

■      Each volunteer in the network with a bicycle will need to attend {an hour} cycling training, in order for our charity partner to confirm and support you with basic cycling safety checks.

■      Certificate of volunteering

Volunteers will be coordinated by LBBD and Street Tag and under their governing policies, insurance, and procedures.

What skills or experience do I need?

■      You must be a user or commit to starting to use the Street Tag app to adopt the habit of regular physical activity.

■      Ability to communicate in a calm, approachable, and professional manner with members of the public.

■      Able to use initiative, show empathy and patience where needed.

■      Comfortable with walking, running, or cycling within a 2-mile radius of your home.

■      Ability to follow health and safety instructions and to seek support where needed.

■      Reliability.

■      Punctuality.

How can I register my interest?

Please complete an online application form by clicking here