Volunteer
Age UK Manchester relies on volunteers to help us offer vital support in the local community at this time. Would you like to lend a hand?
Why volunteer?
Do you love listening and talking? Would you like to support someone learning a new skill? Can you help give a vulnerable person a voice? If so, we want you to join our volunteering team.
There are many reasons why it's great to volunteer. It's an ideal way to give something back to your community and make a difference in people's lives. It can provide an opportunity to develop new skills or build on existing experience and knowledge. It's also a great way to meet others and spend time with people.
We could not function without our dedicated team of volunteers who help us deliver vital services to older people in Manchester. Whatever your talents and interests, we're bound to have a voluntary opportunity where you can you share your knowledge, make new friends and have fun! You'll also get the chance to learn new skills and gain important experience to add to your CV.
All our volunteers are offered full training and will get ongoing support and advice from our volunteer management team.
So if you have the time, no matter how little, there are many ways in which you can get involved.
Who can volunteer?
Almost anyone can be a volunteer. We have a wide range of roles which suit different people and different skills.
How much time do I need to give?
It depends on the volunteer role you are interested in. Some people give an hour a week, other people do more.
Current volunteering opportunities
-
Become a shop volunteer
We are looking for volunteers at our Manchester shops, and if that is you and you have spare time, then apply and become a shop volunteer.
-
Information and advice volunteers
We are currently looking for volunteers to work within our Advice Team helping older people to overcome a range of problems, particularly relating to welfare benefit entitlements.
-
Day Centre volunteers
Our Day Centre's are looking for volunteers to assist our Support Workers, who provide Day Care for older ladies and gentlemen with Dementia.
Please note that we are currently not taking on any new Day Centre Volunteers at the moment. We should have availability from early February 2025.
-
Volunteer Counsellor
Our Counselling Service is looking for volunteer counsellors, either fully qualified or those currently training to be a counsellor. Find out more information in the below link.
-
Translator volunteers
We seek volunteers to help older people at our Brunswick Day Centre with communicating with staff and their peers. Our service users sometimes lose the capacity to speak English and revert to their native tongue, which creates a communication barrier. Volunteers help to break this barrier down. We are particularly looking for speakers of Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and Patois.
-
Ageing Well volunteers
We are looking for volunteers who want to help at our Ageing Well groups to assist with running the group, preparing for activities, and being a friendly face. Our groups range from craft groups to exercise groups to Men in Sheds. Please note that there is a minimum commitment of three months.
Volunteering roles
Counsellor Volunteers
What you can expect from volunteering for our service:
- Gain placement hours and or experience
- Support, mentoring and training
- A diverse range of clients
- Great networking opportunities
- The satisfaction of giving back to the local community
We expect you to:
- Commit to the team and our clients
- Currently be studying Level 4 or above in Counselling
- Have `Fitness to Practice' from college/university/educator
- Have a personal clinical supervisor
- Have Personal Indemnity Insurance in place
- Have permission from your educator to allow home visits and lone-working
- Commit to a minimum of 3 hours a week (Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm)
- Agree to an Enhanced DBS check
- Attend Group Supervision every other month at our St Ann's Square office
- Have BACP student membership/other professional body membership
- Live within the Manchester City Council boundary
- Be prepared to travel between our counselling rooms in Ardwick, the City Centre, Openshaw and Wythenshawe
- Commit to carry on counselling with us for a further 6 months post-qualification
To apply for a placement with us please email counselling@ageukmanchester.org.uk or phone to speak to a member of the counselling team on 0161 527 4374.
Shop Volunteers
- Help the manager run the shop
- Serve customers
- Process and merchandise stock
Information and Advice volunteers
- Generalist Advisor
- Form filling
- A minimum commitment of 6 hours per week for 6 months is required
- Computer literacy is essential
- Please note that volunteering is only available at our Head Office (St Ann's Square)
Day Centre Volunteers
Please note that we are currently not taking on any new Day Centre Volunteers at the moment. We should have availability from early February 2025.
Varied roles, but could include:
- Making tea and toast
- Serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea
- Clearing tables
- Washing up
- Joining in with the activities
Translator Volunteers (Brunswick Day Centre)
- Communicating with service users to help break down communication barriers
- Engaging with service users
- Translation of written material
Ageing Well Volunteers
- Preparing the room for group activities
- Helping the Ageing Well worker with running the group
- Showing an interest and having a chat with group members
- A minimum commitment of 3 months is required.
Additional information
- Travel expenses are paid
- We can contribute towards lunch for volunteering 4 hours or more, including over the lunch period
- Free DBS check, if required
- Training will be provided and the role offers an opportunity to develop excellent transferable skills as well as to make a real difference to the lives of older people in the City.
- Please do not ask to volunteer for a Befriending Service as we do not offer this service.
- Information & Advice volunteering is only available at our Head Office in St Ann's Square, central Manchester.