Volunteering information

As a volunteer you could make a difference for older people in Blackburn with Darwen. Thank you very much for your interest in volunteering with us - we recruit on a vacancy basis so do have a look at our current role vacancy poster above.

If you are a business with employees looking to volunteer please get in touch as we have a variety of options for corporate volunteering and we would love to hear from you.

What do I do to become a volunteer?

It is very important to us that our volunteers enjoy their volunteering role and get back as much as they put in. In order to prepare you for your volunteering role we have a recruitment and online training process in place.As many volunteering roles involve contact with vulnerable older people, 2 references from people who have known you for more than 6 months are asked for for all roles. DBS checks are also required, as a legal requirement for some of our roles and necessary under our safeguarding practices. This can mean that the application process can take up to 6 weeks to complete so please do bear that in mind.
There is no upper age limit to volunteer (apart from volunteer driving roles) but you do need to be aged 16 or over to apply. Whilst we offer short term volunteering opportunities some roles are not suitable as they require a minimum time and training commitment and this is outlined in the role outline.

Please be aware that we have limited resources for administering volunteer recruitment so it could take up to 5 working days for acknowledgement of your application.

What you will get out of volunteering

• It's a great way to make a real difference to someone's life
• You'll be giving something  back to your community
• You get to be part of Age UK Blackburn with Darwen's volunteer team
• These are unpaid roles but you will be reimbursed for out of pocket travel expenses
• Volunteers tell us they find their roles really rewarding
• We hold regular social and information sessions for volunteers
• Volunteering looks good to potential employers

What is expected of me?

• Attend informal interviews with the Service line manager
• Complete an application form and provide us with 2 references – Please make sure that your referees know to expect a request from us. We cannot accept relatives as referees
• Undertake DBS and driving license checks where appropriate for the role
• Undertake mandatory online training before starting volunteering- support is given as needed
• Respect our organisational values and operating principles

You can read our Privacy Notice for Volunteer Applicants here

Student Placements and work experience opportunities

We welcome students on placement or work experience with us - these are usually arranged directly with the education provider. For more details see our dedicated student placements page