Current volunteering opportunities

Reporting to: Catering and Café Manager

Department: Kitchen and Café

Remuneration: Voluntary position + allowable expenses

Supporting from: The Bradbury Centre, Kingston Road

(All volunteers at Age UK Portsmouth are subject to a successful DBS check)

Catering and Café Volunteer Role

This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of the Age UK Portsmouth Catering and Café Team.

We are looking for enthusiastic people to provide friendly assistance to those who use our Meals on Wheels and Café based at the Bradbury Centre. We are seeking volunteers to assist in the running of the Kitchen and Café space. In this role you will assist with a number of duties including serving of meals and tidying the kitchen area whilst it is in operation.

You will be responsible for keeping the Kitchen and Café clean and tidy, providing a friendly face and providing excellent customer service. You will be responsible for any other appropriate assistance as may be reasonably requested.

Personal Qualities Most Suited to the Role

• The ability to work as part of a team, but also able to use own initiative
• The ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people at all levels
• An understanding of Health and Safety Regulations relevant to the kitchen environment
• A good standard of personal hygiene
• Full training will be given, however previous experience of working with older people, or catering would be an advantage.

What’s in it for you?

• Becoming part of a friendly and dedicated team
• Meeting people from all walks of life and making new friends
• Taking pride in helping to make a profit for the charity
• The satisfaction of making a vital difference to those that require meals prepared for them and delivered to their home.

How much time do I have to give?

It is hoped that you would be able to provide a minimum of 3 hours per week, however this is negotiable and can be discussed.

Reporting to: Meals on Wheels Coordinator

Department: Meals on Wheels

Remuneration: Voluntary position + allowable expenses

Supporting from: The Bradbury Centre, Kingston Road, Portsmouth

(All volunteers at Age UK Portsmouth are subject to a successful DBS check).

Meals Delivery Driver Volunteer Role

This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of Age UK Portsmouth, an independent charity that has been caring for vulnerable and isolated older people in Portsmouth and the local area for over 75 years.

Age UK Portsmouth is seeking enthusiastic and friendly volunteers to deliver hot meals and teatime packs to our Meals on Wheels service users in Portsmouth.

The Meals on Wheels service provides nutritious meals to those who may not otherwise enjoy home cooked food. Volunteer Meal Delivery Drivers will collect hot meals and tea-time packs from our Bradbury Centre in Portsmouth and personally deliver them to service users at home. Volunteers will provide a brief welfare safety check and offer friendly conversation mindful that, for some, this may be the only contact they have with another person for the whole day.

Qualities Most Suited to Role

• Must have access to a road-safe vehicle, along with a valid driver’s licence and appropriate motor insurance
• Volunteers should enjoy meeting people and be willing to visit service users in their own home
• An understanding of Health and Safety Regulations and ability to follow health and safety deliver protocols
• A good standard of personal hygiene
• Knowledge of the area and/or ability to follow maps and directions
• Full training will be given, however previous experience of working with older people, or with food handling would be an advantage

What’s in it for you?

• Becoming part of a friendly and dedicated team
• Meeting people from all walks of life and making new friends
• Taking pride in helping to support the Charity and its service users

How much time do I have to give?

It is hoped that you would be able to provide a minimum of 3 hours at least once per week. Meals are delivered between the hours of 11:30 and 14:00 from Monday to Sunday.

Age UK Portsmouth is looking for enthusiastic, friendly people to provide assistance to those who use the facilities within The Bradbury Centre.

Volunteers will welcome service users, their families and visitors, answer their queries and provide information, whilst creating an atmosphere that is accommodating and efficient.

Volunteers will be dependable and caring and have the ability to communicate courteously and effectively with all visitors, fellow volunteers and staff.  Strict levels of confidentiality for service user information must be maintained.

Personal Qualities Most Suited to the Role

• The ability to work as part of a team, but also able to use own initiative
• The ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people at all levels
• Outgoing personalities who are enthusiastic at welcoming and facilitating visitors
• Have compassion and empathy towards service users' individual circumstances

What’s in it for you?

• Becoming part of a friendly and dedicated team
• Meeting people from all walks of life and making new friends
• Taking pride in helping to make a profit for the charity

How much time do I have to give?

It is hoped that you would be able to provide a minimum of three hours per week, however this is negotiable and can be discussed.

Age UK Portsmouth is looking for enthusiastic people to help support the running of our reception at the Bradbury Centre. You will be responsible for answering queries in a friendly and efficient manner via telephone and email and handling the general day-to-day running of the reception.

This is an exciting opportunity to be a member of a team of dedicated volunteers making a real difference to the lives of older people in Portsmouth.

Purpose of the Service

The reception at the Bradbury Centre is a hub of activity - all initial contact with the charity comes via the reception. You will be responsible for providing comprehensive, professional reception support and excellent customer service support to Bradbury Centre visitors as well as telephone and email enquirers.

The reception team is responsible for providing support to colleagues to help improve the lives of older people, whilst aiding the generation of additional income for Age UK Portsmouth.

The reception volunteer will help with general guidance and signposting towards all Age UK Portsmouth services, products and staff expertise within the Bradbury Centre.

Personal Qualities and Skills Most Suited to the Role

• Good working knowledge of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook (email)
• Organisational skills and ability to be self-motivated
• An understanding of the need to portray a professional image at all times
• An understanding and empathy towards the needs of older people
• Good interpersonal and listening skills
• An understanding of the need for confidentiality and a positive attitude to equal opportunities

How much time do I have to give?

It is hoped that volunteers could offer four hours per week on a regular basis, however this can be discussed further.

Role Description

This is an exciting opportunity for a mature, long-term volunteer to be a part of the Age UK Portsmouth Information & Advice Department.

Information & Advice is an independent, confidential service which plays a crucial role in improving quality of life for older people. It enables people to secure their rights and entitlements, make informed choices about public services and play a full role in their communities and society.

Our Information & Advice team provide advice by telephone, face-to-face and by email. They cover a wide range of issues including welfare benefits and money, social care, health, employment, consumer issues, housing and discrimination. The aim of the service is to provide people with the facts so they can make choices and decisions knowing that they have been given reliable information.

We are currently building a team to support our ever-growing service to make sure we are reaching the people who need our help to make the most of their life. Volunteers may help us in our offices at The Bradbury Centre or within someone’s home.

Key Volunteering Tasks

• Enabling and empowering clients to act for themselves
• Providing help with letter writing and completing forms
• Assist older people to complete a benefits check
• Writing up and maintaining case records
• Signposting service users to various organisations in the local area for further assistance and other Age UK Portsmouth services
• Carry out home visits in mutually agreed areas of the city
• Assisting the team in day-to-day administration duties to ensure smooth running of the department, including accurately recording case information on the charity's Customer Relationship Management system, Charitylog
• Participating in team meetings and training sessions
• All Age UK Portsmouth volunteers must be willing to have a Disclosure & Barring Service check

Personal Qualities Most Suited to the Role

• A more mature person with life experience
• A long-term commitment to your role as a volunteer
• A willingness to undertake ongoing training about benefits, health, social care, housing and legal advice
• Be able to demonstrate strong literacy, numeracy and IT skills
• The ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people at all levels
• A friendly and patient personality
• A positive attitude and a 'can do' approach
• Be able to provide clear and concise information to clients in person, on the phone and by email
• Ability to analyse and break down complex problems
• Ability to ensure impartiality and confidentiality when dealing with clients
• Demonstrate sensitivity and acceptance of differences
• Ability to avoid judgement and stereotyping

How Much Time do I Have to Give?

It is hoped that you would be able to provide your services at least one day per week (or equivalent thereof) but this can be flexible around your other commitments.