Volunteer Opportunities

People's horizons can often grow more limited as health issues, losing friends, and lack of confidence since retirement, see them socialising less and less often. But we firmly believe that later life shouldn't be a lonely life. We build a relationship of trust and care through regular telephone befriending calls – made by CareLink volunteers – and provide practical support for them to stay as healthy and independent in their own home as possible. Here's how we do it:Regular telephone befriending calls in a routine pattern each weekA point of contact when people don't know where to turn for helpDirect practical support and referral to other services when care and health issues are identifiedCheck that people are taking medication, keeping appointments, staying warm, and staying fed and hydrated with regular remindersHelp to identify local social activities, and offer initial support to attend Volunteer Drivers:We are looking for volunteer drivers to provide door to door transport for people having difficulty accessing public transport independently. Who, without your help, would not be able to attend the social and support activities that they need. Our Volunteer Drivers need:a clean driving licence,access to your own vehicle with an up-to-date MOT, Insurance & Tax certificate.The number of hours required would be flexible and mileage will be paid to all volunteers. You will need to have an enhanced DBS check, which we will arrange and fund. Skills and Experience desired:Have good listening and communication skillsHave an interest in and empathy with older peopleCan provide non-judgemental support and encouragement to people in difficult situationsAre able to respect confidentiality even in difficult situationsAre honest, reliable, committed and flexible to meet clients' needs Benefits to the Volunteer:What do volunteers get out of it?Our volunteers regularly tell us that they benefit from volunteering with us in a number of ways. You will no doubt find some benefits in common such as:learning new skills and enhancing your CVincreasing confidence and self-esteemmaking new friends and being a member of an enthusiastic teama sense of well-being which comes from giving back to your communitythe satisfaction of knowing you are making a difference Training: You will receive full training and support to help you to improve your confidence and understanding for this role. You will be required to complete mandatory training before you begin your role. This will cover areas such as boundaries, confidentiality, and safeguarding. Support: You will be supported by a dedicated member of staff who will ensure that your training and development needs are met, and provide ongoing support as needed.Expenses: We will refund you for any reasonable expenses, such as travel and activity costs.