About this volunteer role
Volunteer Role: Community Befriender
Location: Balham Resource Centre, but you will be visiting individuals in their own homes, anywhere within the London Borough of Wandsworth.
Accountable to: Volunteer Co-ordinator
Accountable for: None
Function:
To visit and provide valuable support and ‘friendship’ to an individual living with sight loss in the London Borough of Wandsworth.
Key Tasks:
In liaison with the ‘friend’, establish shared interests, such as going to an exhibition, shopping, out for coffee or simply have a chat, which could be part of the weekly meeting.
Spending time talking and getting to know your ‘friend’
Provide support where appropriate by offering to accompany a person to an appointment, assist them shopping or travel on public transport
Support ‘friends’ by reading and assisting in replying to correspondence or reading other documents
Enable and assist your ‘friend’ to get out more, access community services, attend adult education classes, maintain and develop their social network.
Contact your ‘friend’ to make and confirm weekly appointments
Attend a regular supervision/support meeting with the Volunteer Co-ordinator to discuss visits.
Complete basic monthly report forms and send to Volunteer Co-ordinator
Training Provided:
- Befriender training
- Full induction
- Visual Awareness
- Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults
Key Skills/Experience/Attributes Required:
- Be punctual and reliable in attending arranged meetings with the service user
- To have good listening and conversational skills and abilities
- Be self-motivated and confident in working alone
- Ability to understand the issues faced by individuals living with sight loss
- Non-judgemental and able to treat people with respect
- Have an interest in supporting people in the community and be able to travel to the ‘friend’s’ home or other agreed location
- Be able to complete report forms and communicate in writing
- Have a good sense of humour
- Be honest and trustworthy
Special Requirements:
A willingness to work in an environment with guide dogs. References and a Criminal Records Bureau check will be required for all volunteer roles.
Benefits to individuals of performing the role:
- Develop good interpersonal skills
- Acquire new skills and specialist knowledge
- Knowing that your contribution will enable an individual to live a more independent life
- The enjoyment of meeting new people
- The opportunity to gain experience of the voluntary and charity sector
Further information
It is expected that all volunteers:
- Undertake their volunteering in accordance with the values of the charity. These values promote respect of service users recognising their skills and entitlement to choice and independence.
- Adhere to Pocklington’s volunteering policy and support the principles outlined in the organisation’s equality and diversity policy.
- Attend any training required to support their health and safety and the effective undertaking of their volunteering.
For further information on this volunteer opportunity, please contact the Volunteer Co-ordinator at Balham Resource Centre on 020 8675 4246 for an informal discussion.
Registering an interest
To register an interest in this volunteering opportuntity, please complete our online volunteer registration form in the first instance. Once we have received and reviewed your application, we'll contact you to progress your application further.
If you require a copy of the registration form in an alternative format, or require any further assistance, please contact the Volunteering Team.
