Volunteering

Volunteer opportunity of the month

Do you like meeting people?

We need a friendly person on a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon at our Shrewsbury office to join the reception team. You will help with meeting and greeting people, and answering the telephone. Support and full training will be given.

For other volunteering opportunities, please download our latest volunteering vacancies.

Current volunteering vacancies

Complete our application form

Our need for volunteers

Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin is a local charity providing a wide range of services for people over 60 across the whole of Shropshire, some 25% of the population.

The services we provide could not run without our dedicated team of about 750 volunteers. They are the life blood of our charity, aged from 16 to 90 and give as little as a few hours a month, generally Monday to Friday daytime.

You benefit from volunteering

By volunteering to help Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin you will be helping older people but you will also have fun, feel appreciated, make new friends, widen your knowledge and have a rewarding experience. We provide support and training and pay appropriate expenses.

Volunteering opportunities

Day centres

Over 40 social clubs for isolated older people meet one day a week and provide refreshments, a hot meal, a range of activities and companionship. They are run by a team of volunteers who come in for at least a couple of hours. Roles include general helper, organiser, co-ordinator and transport escort.

Befriending

Volunteers visit isolated older people in their homes for up to two hours per week, to give their support by carrying out a social visit. A team of volunteers each spend a few hours at least once a month ringing older people and together offer a friendly weekly chat.

Short-term support to older people is provided by volunteers from the Home from Hospital service in south Shropshire and the North-East Shropshire Interdisciplinary Team. They provide practical help and companionship for two to three hours a week.

Benefits

Volunteers visit older people in their own homes and assist them in the completion of benefits claim forms. You need to commit at least two hours a week and be willing to travel around your area but you do not need experience of the benefits system.

Advocacy

Volunteers support older people on a one-to-one basis by making telephone calls, writing letters or attending meetings. You will need to be available for a few hours a week and be willing to travel around your area to visit people at home. Other volunteers working in pairs act as a ‘good relative’ by visiting older patients in psychiatric hospitals. You will need to commit three to four hours every three weeks and be available for four to five Saturday afternoons a year.

Mentoring

Older people over 50 years give up a few hours each week to work as a one to one mentor with primary school children in the Telford area. No previous experience is required as full training is given.

IT tutor

Our tutors teach basic IT skills to absolute beginners over the age of 55 in classes of no more than six people. They work as part of a rota, responsible for a four week course of two hours a week, at a number of locations. You need to have basic IT skills and be a good communicator.

Insurance

Volunteers arrange insurance face to face or over the telephone at one of our offices. Insurance experience is not required as extensive training will be given but you need to be competent using a computer and be able to commit to one day a week.

Administrative work

Volunteers carry out reception duties in our Shrewsbury office or assist with basic administrative tasks for a few hours a week in one of our offices. Experience of using a computer is desirable. Treasurers support our day centres for which you need an ability to work with figures and have about an hour a week available.

Driving

A team of minibus drivers takes older people from their homes to our day centres. You need to be available for three hours on one day a week.

No previous experience is required as full training will be given. Other volunteers use their own car for up to two hours a week to take an older person to a day centre, or to collect lunches.

Parish Link

Volunteers act as a contact point for older people in their community. It will only take an average of one hour a month of your time.

Fundraising

Volunteers carry out a variety of work such as assisting in the organisation of fundraising events, sending out material to supporters and street collecting; times are flexible.

Application process

We ask all volunteers to complete an application form and to provide two referees. Those volunteers who have contact with vulnerable older people will need to apply for a criminal records bureau disclosure and we will complete the paperwork for you.

The next step

For more information on volunteering, details of what is currently available in your area or to obtain an application form, talk to one of our Volunteer Recruitment Officers. Our contact details are below.

You can also apply online:

Volunteering application form

Remember, just a few hours of your time really does make a difference.