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Volunteering Roles

 

 


Befriending volunteer

Volunteers are incredibly important and are at the heart of many of our services, helping older people and changing lives. Please see our current volunteer vacancies listed below. Please note we only accept volunteers over the age of 18.

 

Current Volunteer Roles

Information about currently available volunteer roles below.

Apply for all roles other than Digital Champion using this application form (doc). Application form in PDF format.  For information on how we use your data please see our privacy policy.

The Digital Champion role will reopen to applications from Monday 20th January, 2025. Applications for Ways to Wellbeing will be on hold over the Christmas period 2024, so please bear with us. Normal service should resume in January, 2025.

Digital Champion

Age UK Leeds are looking for Volunteer Digital Champions to support and inspire people aged 50+ in the area to enjoy the benefits of digital technology and being online.

We work to engage older people, understand their goals, and set out appropriate plans together to reach them, and celebrate their progress and learning.

Offering them personalised support to overcome the barriers they are facing to getting online and to improve their skills and confidence in this area, ultimately improving their quality of life.

Our volunteer Callum says – ‘Throughout my time at Age UK, a friendly atmosphere was maintained by clients and staff alike, and the gratitude for my help from those attending the digital skills sessions was heard and felt.’

More information about the role (PDF), the Digital Champion role will reopen to applications from Monday 20th January, 2025.

 

Fundraising 

We are looking for volunteers to help us raise funds.  Don’t worry this doesn’t have to mean simply standing around holding a bucket. There are lots of ways you can support us behind the scenes, including:

  • Helping to design and/or writing content for a new newsletter
  • Helping make new fundraising materials including posters, tickets etc.
  • Helping plan, organise or run fundraising events such as our annual Carol Concert, fairs or quiz nights to name just a few
  • Perhaps you’re good at crafting and you can help us by making some things we could sell to raise money
  • Or perhaps you have an interest in social media and you can help us make the most of our current channels

If you have spare time and would like to help, please email lisa.burnett@ageukleeds.org.uk for more information and to arrange an informal chat. You can also click here to download the fundraising volunteer leaflet.

 

Hospital to Home Reception Volunteer

The Hospital to Home Team is based in the Gledhow Wing at St James Hospital in Leeds.  The service is open 7 days a week until 7pm each day.  We are looking for volunteers to cover our Reception desk on evenings and weekends.

Click here to find out more about the role.

 

Information Services Volunteers

The Age UK Leeds Information Services Team is looking for volunteers to support the team and the services we offer. 

You will be based at our main Leeds City Centre Office at Bradbury Building, Leeds, LS2 8JA and will work with our Senior Advisors. 

About the team: 

We provide free information and advice to older people over (or approaching) state pension age who live in Leeds, and their carers/supporters, on a range of issues including pension age benefits, accessing social care, housing options and many other things. We can help people with forms and signpost people to other local services. We also provide a reception service at our Leeds City Centre office. 

We are looking for new volunteers to join our team and help in our work with older people in the Leeds area.  

As a volunteer do you? 

  • Want to give something back to the community and make a difference
  • Improve the quality of life for local older people
  • Do something positive for others
  • Develop new skills and transfer your own knowledge to support others 
  • Enhance your CV or gain a reference
  • Become part of a team and have fun!

Benefits of volunteering with Age UK Leeds 

The opportunity to use your skills and experience and build new skills

  • Excellent training opportunities working with our Information and Advice staff
  • Excellent support as part of a friendly team 
  • Expenses paid 

Main Tasks - We will talk to you about what tasks suit your skills and experience when you express an interest in volunteering.  

Here are some examples of what you’ll be doing  

  • Welcoming people coming into the office
  • Providing a listening and supportive ear
  • Answering telephone enquiries
  • Recording contacts made on our IT systems
  • Providing information on Age UK Leeds Services
  • Handing out information booklets and leaflets 
  • Maintaining supplies of information and ensuring leaflets are on display in the main office 
  • Referring people needing advice to our team of advisors
  • Assisting people to claim benefits – (This can involve completing forms with clients)
  • Supporting at Information and Advice drop in events

Skills and competencies 

  • Understanding, patient and empathetic
  • Non-judgmental
  • Effective communication skills
  • Ability to listen and ask appropriate questions
  • Willingness to follow Age UK Leeds values, policies and procedures, including Health & Safety, Data Protection & Confidentiality, Equal Opportunities.
  • Polite and courteous at all times
  • Desire to support older people in the community
  • A basic understanding of older people and an appreciation of issues facing older people.

How to apply:

Most of the tasks for these role involve either speaking to or face to face work with clients so you need to have a kind and helpful manner, as well as good listening and communication skills. Experience of supporting older people is not essential but would be beneficial given the nature of our service. You also do need to be able to use emails, microsoft word and learn to use our computer client database.

We understand that people wish to volunteer for different reasons and often around paid roles or other commitments. However, given the specific training required for the Attendance Allowance role we asked that you would be able to volunteer for at least 4 hours a week and that following training, we ask that you commit to volunteering with us for a minimum of 6 months.

To apply please complete the volunteer application form following the link on this page or email advice@ageukleeds.org.uk to request a form. If you would like to discuss anything further please contact the team on 0113 389 3000.

 

Older Peoples Engagement Group

Are you looking for an interesting, varied and rewarding volunteering role?

Our Older People’s Engagement Group are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join us. We are a group of older people who help represent and support the charity in a number of ways:

  • Linking with different services and contributing the view of older people
  • Connecting with external organisations to provide AgeUK Leeds a voice and presence
  • Gathering feedback from clients to help monitor and improve services
  • Helping with recruitment and interviews for roles within the charity

All AgeUK volunteers are offered a full induction. Volunteers also have access to training and opportunities to participate in social events. All out of pocket expenses (such as travel) will be reimbursed.

For more information or for an informal chat with one of the group, please contact Julie Skelton (Julie.skelton@ageukleeds.org.uk) or phone the office on 0113 389 3000.

Please click here to find out more about the role.

 

Social Media Volunteer

We are looking for an enthusiastic, hands on social media volunteer to help us increase our online presence on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin introduce us to Instagram to drive awareness of our charity’s work and grow our network of supporters. 

Click here to find out more.

 

Ways to Wellbeing Volunteer

Applications for Ways to Wellbeing are currently on hold, please bear with us. Normal service should resume in May 2025.

The Ways to Wellbeing service offers volunteers the opportunity to improve the quality of life of older people by supporting them to increase their social connections, be more physically active, find new hobbies, learn new skills or become more involved in their local community.

What does volunteering involve?

Being a volunteer offers a fantastic way to put back into your community and support someone nearby in need of help. The level of support you wish to commit is entirely your choice - as little as half an hour a week can make a big difference in the life of an older or vulnerable person.

Some of the volunteering options available are:

  • 1-1 support
  • Group and Activity Support (e.g. walking, exercise, creative & community)
  • One off event Support

We are looking for volunteers who can support our Ways to Wellbeing Project by:

  • Visiting / telephoning a client regularly to allow time to build a fulfilling and lasting relationship
  • Doing small activities together
  • Helping them get out or attend groups if they choose
  • Building the older person’s confidence to help them live safely and well alone
  • Volunteers will not be giving personal care or shopping

Take a look at the role description for further information and complete and return the application form (at the top of the page) if you are interested in volunteering.