With a little help from our friends....
So much of what we do is about our team of volunteers. Some join support groups for individual care homes, or work alongside staff in our day clubs while many give an hour a week to our home visiting service. Our newest team of volunteers provide friendly calls and a listening ear as part of our telephone friendship service.
Current opportunities:
Isolation and loneliness is a terrible problem for older people - in fact many of our beneficiaries can go days without seeing or talking to anyone else.
If you're you a good listener, warm, patient and would like to make a lonely older person feel someone still cares, please consider volunteering for our Phoning Friends service. All you need is a phone!
We'll give you all the training you need and you can make the calls from your own homes at flexible times. Ideally you'll call at least two older people per month, with calls lasting from 10 to 30 minutes (depending on the rapport and preferences of the older person).
We will reimburse your expenses and you'll have regular opportunities to socialise with our other volunteers. Or you could get involved with other aspects of Phoning Friends, including administration, recruitment and project work.
Please note that we are currently only recruiting volunteers from within the M25 London area.
For further information, or to request a Volunteering Application Pack, please contact the Phoning Friends manager at info@phoningfriends.fote.org.uk or call 020 7881 1148.
Visiting Friends West Elmbridge
Can you spare one hour per week to visit an older person at home?
We are looking for volunteers to provide companionship to lonely, isolated older people, no household tasks are undertaken, just a friendly chat and a cup of tea. Visiting Friends covers the West Elmbridge area, which includes Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge and Hersham in Surrey.
All volunteers will receive training and under go security checks.
If you can spare one hour a week to volunteer for Visiting Friends, then you will be greatly improving the life of an older person. For more information contact the manager on 01932 228 631 or email: welmbridge@visitingfriends.fote.org.uk
Redcot Residential Care Home, Haslemere, Surrey
Spend some time with residents at our Redcot care home
We are seeking volunteers who are interested in spending some time with residents undertaking various activities, be it having a cup of tea and a chat or helping in the beautiful gardens.
We have a range of volunteering opportunities, but if you have a particular skill or interest you think our residents would enjoy we would love to hear about it.
There are several after work opportunities and no minimal time requirements. An occasional 30 minutes will make a world of difference to an older person.
If you would like to volunteer at Redcot please contact Anik on 020 7730 8263 or email enquiries@fote.org.uk