Volunteering Opportunities Factsheet
Age Concern Blackburn with Darwen is a registered charity, and was established in 1976. We are part of the national Age Concern federation which is dedicated to improving the lives of the UK’s 10 million older people.
Our aim is to work with local older people in Blackburn with Darwen in all their diversity to identify and articulate their views, needs and choices, where appropriate, to provide quality, flexible services.
Volunteers play a vital role in enabling us to deliver and develop our range of community based services thereby providing valuable assistance to local older people.
Age Concern Blackburn with Darwen holds the Investor in People Award and is committed to providing free training, relevant to the role and support to volunteers. The organisation also encourages volunteers to claim back their out of pocket travel expenses such as bus fares.
Below are details of the services we currently provide and the volunteering opportunities available within those services:
Advice and Information Service
Through our Blackburn and Darwen offices we offer free, confidential and independent information to older people and their carers on a range of issues - including benefits, housing and community care. In fact we can assist with any problem facing older people, using a wide range of information resources.
Volunteers are involved in dealing with enquiries over the telephone or in person, identifying relevant information and explaining this to the service users. In addition volunteers carry out relevant administrative tasks to support the advising role.
Volunteers should have excellent listening and communication skills and a good telephone manner. Most information resources are computerised and volunteers should be willing to undergo training on how to use these resources.
Initial and ongoing training and support, including in the use of the computerised information systems, is provided by the Advice and Information Manager or Darwen Services Co-ordinator.
Outreach Advice Service
A home visiting service is available for older people who are unable to come into our offices. Volunteers are involved in providing advice and information to these older people in their homes, in particular, assisting with benefit claim forms, and carrying out relevant administrative tasks to support this role.
Volunteers should have excellent listening and communication skills and a friendly manner. Access to own transport is essential for this role.
Initial and ongoing training and support is provided by the Outreach Advice Officer.
Ageing Well Project
The Ageing Well Project aims to help older people improve their health and well-being, through the provision of a range of activities.
IT Tuition
We offer one-to-one tuition to older people on how to use a computer and IT Skills, including using the Internet and email. We offer this service at our Blackburn Office and at various community venues including sheltered accommodation, day centres and residential homes.
Volunteers are involved in providing tuition at a level suitable to the service user, monitoring progress and completing relevant administrative tasks to support this role.
Volunteers should have excellent communication skills, some degree of IT experience and knowledge and the ability to impart this to others in a clear and suitable way. Experience of using different software packages and experience of tutoring others are desirable, but not essential.
Support and guidance for the above role is provided by the Ageing Well Co-ordinator.
Asian Heritage Project
This project offers a range of healthy lifestyle activities at community venues to older people from the local Asian heritage communities, as part of the Ageing Well project.
Volunteers are involved in facilitating and supporting the development and maintenance of these activities and carrying out relevant administrative tasks to support the role.
Volunteers should have excellent communication skills, a friendly manner and the ability to work on their own initiative. Access to own transport and the ability to speak at least one Asian language are desirable but not essential.
Initial and ongoing training, and support are provided by the Asian Heritage Project Worker.
Care Services
Limbrick Hall Day Care Centre
Limbrick Hall provides day care for both physically and mentally frail older people, including those with dementia, each day Monday-Friday. In a warm relaxed and friendly environment older people enjoy a range of social and creative activities, a cooked lunch plus bathing, hairdressing and chiropody services.
Apna Ghar Day Care Centre
Apna Ghar provides day care for both physically and mentally frail older people from the local Asian Heritage Communities. The Centre, which has been specifically designed to meet cultural and religious needs, is located in the Bangor Street Community Centre. Each day up to 20 older people enjoy a range of social activities, a cooked lunch plus bathing, and chiropody services.
Volunteers can be involved with all or particular aspects of providing day care as detailed below, at either day care centre.
Personal Care
Volunteers are involved in assisting with personal care tasks such as toileting and bathing of service users. Appropriate training opportunities and support will be provided to volunteers carrying out these tasks.
Social and Creative Activities
Volunteers are involved in organising and participating in centre activities such as bingo and other games, handicrafts, gentle exercise and entertainment. This role also involves encouraging and supporting the service users to join in with activities.
Kitchen
Volunteers are involved with all aspects of the production and serving of meals in the centres, including food preparation, cooking and helping to keep the kitchen clean and tidy. Volunteers will be given appropriate training and will be expected to undertake Basic Food Hygiene training provided by the organisation.
Drivers
Volunteers are involved in providing transport to and from the centres for the service users, using the organisation’s specially adapted minibuses. Volunteer drivers will have the opportunity to undertake relevant training including the MIDAS course and should have a clean driving licence and be able to show a high standard of driving skills and experience.
Minibus Escort
Volunteer escorts assist the drivers with the collection of service users, ensuring they are brought safely to and from the centres. Volunteers should have a patient, caring and friendly manner and good communication skills.
Full initial and ongoing training, support and guidance for all the above roles is provided by the staff at Limbrick Hall or Apna Ghar.
Caring Neighbourhood Scheme
Visiting
This scheme provides volunteers to visit socially isolated or housebound older people in their own homes. Volunteers visit a person to have a chat, build up a friendship and provide a link to the outside world.
Volunteer visitors would usually visit one person once a week, at any time to suit them and the person they visit – so it can fit around work and family commitments.
‘Phonelink
The ‘Phonelink provides an alternative to a visitor. Volunteers telephone a number of housebound or socially isolated people, at the same time each week, to have a chat, catch up on the news and provide a link to the outside world. ‘Phonelink Volunteers are based at our Blackburn office at 4 King Street.
Caring Neighbourhood Scheme volunteers are also expected to signpost queries onto other relevant Age Concern Services, in particular the Advice and Information Service.
Volunteers should have a friendly and caring manner and excellent communication and listening skills.
Initial and ongoing training, support and guidance are provided by the Volunteer Co-ordinator.
Charity Shop
Our Charity Shop at 3 Market Street, Darwen sells a range of good quality donated goods – including clothing, shoes, bric-a-brac and household items – with stock being replaced on a regular basis.
Volunteers are involved and trained in all aspects of charity shop retailing including serving customers, sorting and processing donated goods.
Volunteers must enjoy meeting people and have a cheerful and friendly manner. Ongoing support and guidance is provided by the Shop Manager and Deputy Manager.
Van Collections
As part of the service we offer through out charity shop, we provide a collection service for donated goods.
Volunteers assist with the collection of goods throughout the Borough, using the organisation’s van. This role includes the handling of goods and their delivery to the charity shop, the disposal of unwanted goods, and the delivery of collection sacks.
Volunteers must have a cheerful and friendly manner and enjoy meeting people. A degree of physical fitness is also required. A clean driving licence is essential for this role.
Administration
The Administration Department provides support to all service areas of the Organisation.
Volunteers can be involved in all or particular aspects of administration, including dealing with incoming telephone calls, handling incoming and outgoing mail, word processing, photocopying, filing, collating statistics, etc. Occasionally there is also the opportunity to be involved in poster design using software packages and other IT tasks such as data inputting.
Administration volunteers may also be placed at Limbrick Hall or Apna Ghar Day Care Centres. Ongoing support and guidance is provided by the Senior Administrator and Administration staff team.
Whilst training is provided, previous experience in an office environment or an aptitude for this type of work, including a pleasant and efficient telephone manner are desirable.
Fundraising
In common with all charities, Age Concern Blackburn with Darwen needs to fundraise to ensure the continuity of its services. We undertake a range of fundraising activities and enthusiastic volunteers are needed to help organise or to participate in these events.
These events take place at various times of the year and would require a varying and flexible degree of time commitment.
Volunteers should be outgoing and enjoy meeting people and have good organisational skills. Previous fundraising experience is desirable, but not essential.
Trading Products and Services
Through both our Blackburn and Darwen offices we offer a range of products and services designed with the needs of the over 50s in mind.
These include: Home, Motor and Travel Insurance, Motor Breakdown Services, Gas and Electricity, Aid-call Personal Alarms, Charity Flowers and Funeral Plans.
Volunteers are involved in dealing with general customer enquiries, completing relevant paperwork and administrative tasks. Age Concern Insurance Services use a computerised system for producing quotes and policies for the Home and Travel insurance in line with the FSA (Financial Services Authority) regulations for insurance mediation.
Volunteers should have previous customer service experience, good administration, and communication skills and a pleasant telephone manner. Initial and regular ongoing product and sales training is provided to meet the mandatory requirements of FSA regulations.
Additional Information
Unless specified no previous experience is necessary, as training will be given
As an organisation we have a duty to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the Health and Safety of our Staff and Volunteers. As such volunteers will be expected to undertake certain mandatory health and safety training provided by the organisation.
Volunteers would usually be asked to commit to working one or two ˝ days per week although this may vary according to the service and location.
If you have any particular skills or experience which you cannot see listed above – please do let us know as we can always consider introducing new ideas to our services.
For further details contact:
Volunteer Co-ordinator
Age Concern Blackburn with Darwen
4 King Street
Blackburn BB2 2DH
| Tel: | 01254 266620 | |
| Fax: | 01254 266621 | |
| E-mail: | enquiries@ ageconcernblackburn.co.uk | |
| Website: | www.ageconcernblackburn.co.uk |
Age Concern Blackburn with Darwen Trading Limited, the trading company of Age Concern Blackburn with Darwen, is an Appointed Representative of Age Concern Enterprises Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority for insurance mediation.
ACO36V3APR07
Registered Charity No: 508513
Company No: 2965744
Last Reviewed April 2007
