Support for volunteers
Age UK Blackburn with Darwen is a local charity, dedicated to improving the lives of older people in the community.
Volunteers are vital for us to provide our community based services and in turn provide valuable assistance to local older people.
Age UK Blackburn with Darwen holds the Investor in People Award and is committed to providing support to volunteers, including free training relevant to the role. The organisation also encourages volunteers to claim back their out of pocket travel expenses such as bus fares.
Additional information
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 training provided by the organisation.
Volunteers would usually be asked to commit to working one or two half 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 below, please do let us know as we can always consider introducing new ideas to our services.
Current opportunities
Below are details of the services we currently provide and the volunteering roles available within those services. Due to demand for volunteer places we operate a vacancy system. If you are interested in any of our roles please contact us to check if we have any current vacancies.
When you contact us our Volunteer Co-ordinator will discuss with you the specific requirements of the roles we have available; along with our application process including taking up references and CRB checks.
Advice and information service
Outreach advice service
Ageing Well project
Care services
Caring Neighbourhood scheme
Charity shop
Administration
Fundraising
Trading products and services
Contact details
Advice and information service
Through our Blackburn and Darwen offices we offer free, confidential and independent advice and 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 clearly to the service users. In addition volunteers carry out relevant administrative tasks to support the advising role. Volunteers can also be involved with assisting with form completion, particularly for welfare benefits.
- 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 and our organisational database
- Volunteers are also expected to attend initial and ongoing training on specific advice topics in order to keep their knowledge up to date
Initial and ongoing training and support is provided by the Advice and Information Manager or Darwen Services Manager.
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. There may also be opportunities to be involved with promoting the service at a variety of community venues.
- Volunteers should have excellent listening and communication skills and a friendly manner
- Access to own transport is essential for this role
- Volunteers are also expected to attend initial and ongoing training on specific advice topics in order to keep their knowledge up to date
Initial and ongoing training and support is provided by the Outreach Advice Development Co-ordinator.
Ageing Well project
The Ageing Well Project aims to help older people improve their health and well-being through a range of activities.
IT Tuition
We offer one-to-one and small group tuition to older people on how to use a computer and IT skills, including using the Internet and email. We currently offer this service at our Blackburn office, at a venue in Darwen and through a programme of sessions in community venues including sheltered accommodation, day centres and residential homes using laptops.
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, a good level 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
- Volunteers with additional skills such as digital camera use are also welcome to support the extension of sessions we can offer
Activities
We provide a range of physical activity sessions including swimming, gentle exercise, Wii activity sessions and dancing. Volunteers are involved with delivering, facilitating and supporting these activities and carrying out relevant administrative tasks to support the activity. Volunteers may be required to undertake specific training provided by the organisation, depending on the activity.
Volunteers should have excellent communication skills, a friendly manner and the ability to work on their own initiative.
Support and guidance for the above roles are provided by the Ageing Well Co-ordinator.
Asian Heritage project
This project offers a range of healthy lifestyle activities at community venues to encourage older people from the local Asian heritage communities to participate in 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
Spring Bank Court day care centre
Spring Bank Court provides day care for physically and mentally frail older people, including those with dementia, Monday to Friday. In a warm, relaxed and friendly environment older people enjoy a range of social and creative activities, a cooked lunch plus bathing and care 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. Older people enjoy a range of social and creative activities, a cooked lunch plus bathing, and care 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 games, handicrafts, gentle exercise and entertainment. This role also involves encouraging and supporting people to join in with activities.
Drivers
Volunteers are involved in providing transport to and from the centres 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 collecting daycentre members, 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 Spring Bank Court or Apna Ghar.
Caring Neighbourhood scheme
Visiting
This scheme provides volunteers to visit socially isolated and 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 and socially isolated older 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 UK 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, electrical 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.
Donation collections
As part of the service we offer through our 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 handling goods and delivering them to the charity shop, the disposal of unwanted goods, and 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.
Ongoing support and guidance is provided by the Administration Officer.
Administration
The Administration department provides support to all service areas of the organisation. Volunteers based in our busy reception office at 4 King Street deal with incoming telephone calls and face-to-face enquiries.
These volunteers may also be involved in other aspects of administration including: recording outgoing mail, word processing, photocopying, filing, collating statistics, etc. Occasionally there is also the opportunity to be involved in other tasks including data inputting.
Ongoing support and guidance is provided by the Administration Officer and administration staff team.
Administration volunteers may be placed at Spring Bank Court or Apna Ghar daycare centres. Volunteers may also be placed in any of our services to assist with data inputting onto the organisational database and other service specific administration. Support and guidance is provided by staff in the relevant service.
While 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 UK Blackburn with Darwen needs to fundraise to ensure the continuity of its services. We undertake a range of fundraising activities such as store collections and events, and enthusiastic volunteers are needed to participate in or to help organise these.
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 insurance, Home, Motor and Travel insurance, Motor Breakdown services, Energy services, Personal Alarms, stair lifts, assisted bathing products, Charity Flowers, Funeral Plans and financial services products.
Volunteers are involved in dealing with general customer enquiries, completing relevant paperwork and administrative tasks. For Age UK Home and Travel insurance we use a computerised system for producing quotes and arranging policies 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. Volunteers are expected to attend initial and regular ongoing product and sales training that is provided to meet the mandatory requirements of FSA regulations.
Ongoing support and guidance is provided by the Trading Manager or the Darwen Services Manager.