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Our volunteers are at the heart of Age UK Bexley and our day to day running. By volunteering with us, you will become a vital part of the charity and its support to older people across the borough. Your time will ensure we can work well beyond our staffing capacity to provide information, activities, and face to face support to some of the boroughs most vulnerable and socially isolated residents.

We are always looking for new volunteers from a range of backgrounds and skills. If you would like to make a direct impact in supporting older people in Bexley, check out our current volunteer roles below:

Information Gateway Volunteer

Role Purpose

To provide information and advice to older people, their relatives and their carers by telephone and personal contact at the Age UK Bexley office.

Main duties and Responsibilities

  • Offer advice to clients in person or by telephone

  • Inform people about services that may be available to them and how to access them, including Age UK Bexley services: and where appropriate to refer people to other agencies and sources of help

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

  • A willingness and ability to participate in mandatory training sessions and attend regular update meetings as and when required

  • A genuine interest and concern for older people

  • A willingness and ability to work as part of a team

  • Knowledge or awareness of issues affecting older people and their carers

Person Specification:

  • Good listening and communication skills (essential)

  • Computer literate, especially with computer record management systems (essential – although training will be given)

  • Empathy with older people (essential)

  • Reliability and trustworthiness (essential)

  • Patience and sensitivity (essential)

Hours of Work: AM (9.30-1) or PM (1-4)

Responsible to: Systems Lead

Administrative Support- Support at Home Service

Role Purpose

To provide administrative support for the Manager of the Support at Home service

Main duties and Responsibilities

  • Calling clients to get feedback on the service and recording it on Charity Log (our CRM database).

  • Helping to update support plans and risk assessments where needed

  • Scanning and uploading documents to the clients’ records on Charity Log.

  • Every month, recording the number of hours of support that each client has received.

  • Putting new clients onto Charity Log and making referrals on their behalf to other organisations or services as instructed by the Support at Home Manager.

 

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

  • A willingness and ability to participate in mandatory training sessions and attend regular update meetings as and when required.

  • Previous experience of using a CRM or the ability to learn to use it .

Self-motivated with a willingness and ability to work as part of a team.

Person Specification:

  • Good listening and communication skills (essential)

  • Computer literate, especially with computer record management systems (essential – although training will be given)

  • Knowledge of Microsoft Office and Word in particular (essential)

  • CRM management and database data entrys experience (non-essential - training provided - however previous experience is major plus)

  • Strong awareness of GDPR and data protection (training will be provided to Age UK Bexley organisational standard, however previous experience and background very useful)

  • Reliability and trustworthiness (essential)

  • Patience and sensitivity (essential)

Hours of Work: Flexible by arrangement with the Support at Home Manager.

As a rule, the Volunteer will be expected to be available up to 2 to 3 hours a week unless otherwise agreed with the Support at Home manager.

Based at: The Age UK Bexley office at the Belvedere Community Centre.

Befriending Volunteer

Role Purpose

Age UK Bexley’s Befriending Service provides support, to older housebound and socially  isolated people in the London Borough of Bexley.

The aim of the service is to support people to relieve loneliness and help people remain independent and living in their own homes as long as possible. This will be achieved by:-

A home visiting service (or accompanying out for short distances)

Group befriending

Short term befriending

This will be ascertained by the Befriending Co-ordinator and in liaison with the volunteer. There will not be out of hours working and we do not replace statutory provision or act as an emergency service. 

Main duties and Responsibilities

  • To visit the client and work within the care plan as requested by the Co-ordinator

Responsibilities

  • Work within Age UK Bexley policies and procedures

  • Respect confidentiality

  • Attend regular meetings and an annual review meeting as arranged by the co-ordinator

  • Record and report details of monthly visits to co-ordinator

 

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

  • Attend mandatory training sessions as and when required

  • A genuine interest and concern for older people

  • Ability to travel within the Bexley Borough

  • Knowledge and/or awareness of issues affecting older people

 Person Specification:

  • Confident and able to build rapport easily

  • Reliability and trustworthiness

  • Good listening and communication skills

  • Organised and able to keep accurate records

Training required

Mandatory training for this role is:-Information Governance

Safeguarding Adults at Risk

Hours of Work: 1-2 hours  per week

Responsible to: Befriending Co-ordinator

 

Age UK Bexley volunteers work with frail older people and therefore will be subject to a check from the Disclosure & Barring Service  under the Protection of Vulnerable Adults policy.

Befriending Cafe Volunteer

Role Purpose

The charity operates a number of Befriending Café’s across the borough in partnership with other voluntary and statutory organisations. This role represents a critical part of the charity’s developing community presence and its work in reaching new audiences.

The role will be to assist and and/or lead sessions and activities for older people, on behalf of Age UK  and in partnership with other local organisations and independent practitioners employed to support the resource.

Responsibilities and Main duties

  • Meet and greet older people

  • Prepare and serve refreshments

  • Take any queries about older people’s services and signpost to Age UK Bexley

  • Assist and join in with activities

  • Clear the area; put away chairs and wash up

  • Keep basic monitoring figures (eg: numbers attending and number of enquires received)

  • Knowledge, skills and abilities:

  • A willingness and ability to participate in mandatory training sessions as and when required

  • A genuine interest and concern for older people

  • A willingness and ability to work as part of a team

  • A willingness and ability to travel within the Bexley Borough

  • An ability to advocate for and support the interests of older people using Age UK services.

Person Specification:

  • An enthusiastic and positive outlook; willingness and ability to get involved

  • Empathy with older people

  • A warm, polite and friendly manner

  • Good communication skills

  • Reliable and dependable

 Hours of Work: minimum 2 hours per week

Responsible to: Community Development Project Officer 

Age UK Bexley volunteers work with frail older people and therefore may be subject to a check from the Disclosure & Barring Service  under the Protection of Vulnerable Adults policy.

 

Day Centre Volunteer

Role Purpose

Age UK Bexley has a day centre for frail, housebound, older people in  Sidcup and an additional centre for people with more enhanced needs. Day Centre volunteers assist the staff to ensure that clients are comfortable during their visit and assist with activities and at meal times under the direction of the Day Service Manager and staff.

Main duties and Responsibilities

Main Duties:

  • To help older people maintain their dignity and independence by assisting in a community based day centre

Responsibilities:

  • To establish, maintain and develop relationships with clients within the Day Centre

  • To greet clients when they arrive, take coats and help to settle in the Day Centre lounge, help with laying the tables for lunch, making and serving refreshments and help the staff throughout the day

  • To adhere to the policies and practices of Age UK Bexley relating to health and safety

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

  • A willingness and ability to participate in mandatory training sessions as and when required

  • A genuine interest and concern for older people

  • A willingness and ability to work as part of a team

Person Specification:

  • Empathy with older people

  • A reasonable level of fitness

  • Reliability and trustworthiness

  • Patience and Sensitivity

  • An interest in assisting with activities for older people

Hours of Work: Full day session - 9:30 – 3:30 for our Enhanced and 10:00– 4:00 for our wellbeing.

Responsible to: Day Services Manager

 for this position regular covid-19 testing must be adhered to

 

Men in Sheds Operations Volunteer

Role Purpose

To support and lead the Shed’s general day to day running and to help ensure there is consistent service delivery for its members.

Men in Sheds Bexley is a community wood workshop and garden space for older men. The project helps reduce loneliness, offers peer support, and promotes skill sharing.

Main duties and Responsibilities

  • To provide on-site support and supervision for the day-to-day operations of the project.

  • To ensure the Shed is opened and/or closed securely at the end of daily operations, when there is not a member of staff on site

  • To ensure the Shed is kept clean, tidy and safe during and at the end of the day.

  • To ensure health and safety procedure is being followed.

  • To provide confident and supportive assistance to shed members, particularly where new members are attending for the first few weeks

  • To encourage and support active participation of members in social and skill sharing opportunities

  • On occasion and where possible, to assist with general building maintenance and ad hoc tasks to provide support for the community development project officer.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

  • Good knowledge and interest in woodwork and DIY

  • Good knowledge of safe working practices in the use of tools, materials, and personal protective equipment

  • Able to communicate effectively with older and vulnerable people

  • An understanding of the effects of social isolation and their importance for healthy living in older people

 Person Specification:

  • A positive can-do attitude (essential)

  • Good listening and communication skills (essential)

  • Reliability and trustworthiness (essential)

  • Patience and sensitivity (essential)

 Hours of Work: 1 weekly half day or full day shift between the hours of 9:30am-3:30pm. (TUESDAYS CURRENTLY NEEDED)

Responsible to: Head of Community Wellbeing Initiatives

Functional Fitness MOT- Hub Volunteer

 

Do you enjoy meeting new people, making others feel welcome, and being part of a friendly team?

We’re looking for volunteers to help us run our fall prevention Drop-In Hub at Hurst Community Centre.

It’s a welcoming space where anyone can drop in for a friendly chat, enjoy a cup of tea, find out more about ageing well, and have a free Fitness MOT to help prevent falls.

What you would be helping with:

  • Making teas and coffees

  • Chatting with people

  • Supporting people to fill out registration forms

If your friendly, enjoy talking to new people and can help out every week, get in contact.

Are you available:
Every Thursday
1pm – 4pm
Hurst Community Centre

Sidcup Community Walks Volunteer

Role Purpose 

To support weekly walks across the borough promoting health and fitness for older people in Bexley. Providing a service that helps reduce loneliness and offers peer support.  

Main duties and Responsibilities  

  • Co-lead walks for groups of adults age 55+ 

  • Welcoming new members  

  • Ensuring everyone is safe during walks and sticking to any risk assessments or guidance given by Age UK Bexley 

  • Taking records of attendees and reporting these to the service manager  

  • Supporting walkers during walks and helping them feel less isolated  

 

Knowledge, skills and abilities: 

  • Some knowledge of the local area  

  • Able to communicate effectively with older and vulnerable people 

  • An understanding of the effects of social isolation and their importance for healthy living in older people 

  • A commitment to equal opportunities  

 

Person Specification: 

  • Good listening and communication skills (essential) 

  • Reliability and trustworthiness (essential) 

  • Patience and sensitivity (essential) 

 

Hours of Work: Tuesday mornings 10am till 12pm at Lamorbey Park Sidcup and Sidcup Place  

Responsible to: Head of Engagement & Volunteer Coordinator 

 

How to become an Age UK Bexley Volunteer:

Please get in contact with our Volunteer Coordinator by calling 0208 300 0883 or filling out this online form (under “service required, please state as “Volunteering”). Our Volunteer Coordinator will then get in touch to discuss our recruitment process, current opportunities and send an application form.

Please note for some of our roles, we will request a DBS check.

Volunteer with us!

For more information and to apply for our current volunteer roles, get in touch with our Volunteer Coordinator or fill out our online expression of interest form.