Volunteering opportunities

The Befriending Service provides company for older people who feel lonely and isolated in their own homes.

Voluntary role

• Visit older people in their own homes/care home
• Talk about shared interests
• Advise people of opportunities to socialise
• Inform people of Age UK services that may be of interest to them
• If necessary, raise concerns about an older person's health and wellbeing

Location and times

Because this service works with people in their own homes, visiting times can be arranged that suit both you and user.

Requirements

• A DBS check must be completed, as volunteering for this service requires you to visit people in their own homes
• Complete befriending and safeguarding training

• Find out more about the Befriending Service
  
  

Our Daycare Centres enable older people to enjoy a day away from their own home. 

Voluntary role

• Engaging with users
• Participating in activities aimed at creating a supportive atmosphere
• Making tea and coffee
• Serving meals

Locations and times

• Monday to Friday, 8:30 - 16:00, at Franklin House Day Care 
• Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30 - 16:00, at Stoneswood Day Care

• Find out more about the Day Care Service
  
  

As a volunteer driver, you will work with a range of services that Age UK Oldham offers and transport both people and goods. 

Voluntary role

• Collect older people from their homes and drop them off at one of our clubs or classes
• Collecting donated goods
• Dropping off purchased items at people's homes
• Transferring items between our shops

Location and times

Days and times can vary and of course, as a driver, you will travel all over Oldham.

Requirements

• Be between the age of 25 and 68 years old
• Possess a clean and current driving license
• Have at least two years driving experience
  
  

Enhanced lunch clubs provide a hot meal and social contact for older people.

Voluntary role

• Setting and clearing tables
• Serving meals
• Engaging with the guests to ensure they have an enjoyable afternoon

Locations and times

We operate lunch clubs at eight venues across Oldham. Each lunch club occurs once per week between Sunday and Friday.

Requirements

• Have an awareness of food hygeine and safety
• Be friendly and attentive
• Be reliable

• Find out more about our enhanced lunch clubs
  
  

The Falls Prevention Exercise Scheme aims to improve balance and co-ordination in older people.

Voluntary role

• Help set up the room for classes
• Take a register of attendees
• Make tea and coffee
• Wait with the class until their transport collects them
• Assist the exercise instructor if necessary
• Create a friendly, supportive atmosphere

Location and times

• There are eleven different classes that are held weekly at various venues throughout Oldham
• Volunteers need to devote 1½ - 2 hours of their time per session
• Travelling expenses are reimbursed

Requirements

• Be able to maintain confidentiality

• Find out more about the Falls Prevention Exercise Scheme
  
  

Chapel interactors help us tell the story of St George's Chapel and the people who built and worshipped there. Our unique story cannot be complete without visiting life below the chapel. By meeting the cellar dwellers and the school mistress, and by chatting to the washer women on Jackson Pit our story of George Street Chapel really comes to life. No experience is necessary as all training will be given but a sense of fun is paramount!

Voluntary roles

• Costume storyteller
• Tour guide

Location and times

Our tours occur at George St Chapel but the days and times vary.

Requirements

• Good communication skills
• Enthusiasm for local history
• Complete safeguarding and child protection training

• Find out more about George St Chapel
  
  

Voluntary role

Help to deliver general advice about local services or if you have a flair for figures you can get involved in training to develop skills in benefits advice.

Location and times

Our Information and Advice department is open Mon - Fri, 9:00am - 3:30pm at our Information, Advice and Support Centre.

Age UK Oldham Information, Advice and Support Centre,
3 Lord St, Oldham, OL1 3HB

• Find out more about Age UK Oldham general advice, money and benefits
  
  

Our leisure and friendship hosts help us put on numerous events for people who are over 50 in Oldham.

Voluntary role

• Meet and greet people on arrival
• Create a warm and welcoming atmosphere
• Provide refreshments at intervals

Location and times

Dates vary throughout the year but we do have a regular tea dance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall every month.

• Find out more about our leisure and social activities
  
  

Older people have interesting stories to tell. They are part of our living history. The Life Story work enhances an older person's quality of life by providing them and their loved ones with a reminiscence tool and is often used within their care plan. It also gives our visiting volunteers and Log On volunteers the chance to develop inter-personal skills and  exisisting computer skills, respectively.

Voluntary roles

Visiting Volunteer:

• To donate a couple of hours per week - meeting a client for about an hour for a casual chat about their life.
• The memories need to be noted down from each visit and compiled before passing them on to the Life Story Coordinator.

If required, we can arrange an experienced member of the team to go along on the first visit to show you the ropes.

Typing Volunteer: 

• Design and create simple Life Story books from the written notes of the visiting volunteers.
• Research using the internet to add extra information or photos.

We provide continuous training and support on the computers at the typing sessions.

Locations and times

Visiting Volunteer:

• The visits take place at care homes, sheltered housing or the person's own home in the Oldham area. 
• The visiting times are very flexible; most people are happy for the volunteers to visit them any day and time (occasionally, care homes may ask us to avoid visiting during meal times).

Typing Volunteer:

Our typing sessions are currently suspended due to the pandemic, but we hope to re-start them again soon.

• There are two typing sessions: on Mondays and Fridays (10:00-15:00) at our main office on Church Lane.
• Volunteers may choose to attend one or both of these typing sessions depending on the equipment we have available. We are flexible about how much time a volunteer would like to donate at these typing sessions.

Requirements

• We only ask to meet you for a casual chat so we can acquaint ourselves, explain the project in detail and answer any queries you may have.
• We also ask for the completion of an Online DBS Application so we can check if you are eligible to work with elderly and vulnerable people - don’t worry, everything is kept confidential, and we can assist with the DBS process.
  
  
• Find out more about Life Story
  
  

The Men in Sheds project addresses social isolation in men over the age of 50, in turn promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Voluntary Role:

• Help with the men's projects
• Share your skills and knowledge
• Get involved with our social activities

Locations and times

We offer the Men in Sheds service between 9:00am and 4:00pm at two sheds:

Charles House, Albert Street West,
Failsworth M35 0SJ

Tanners Waterside Mill, Chew Valley Road,
Greenfield, Oldham OL3 7NH

• Find out more about Men in Sheds
  
  

Project support volunteers can become involved in any of the projects that we run. It's great for people who can't commit long-term, but would still like to help.

Voluntary role:

• Your role depends on the project you've decided to help with, from helping with a falls class to visiting an older person as a befriender

Location and times

You'll be supporting any of our projects on a short-term basis. This could be for just a day or it could be for a couple of weeks.

Requirements

• Each voluntary role has different requirements, but you will be properly prepared for any role we ask you to take on.

By volunteering as a shop assistant, you are helping us generate the funds to support and enrich older people's lives.

Voluntary role

• Sorting and pricing donated goods
• Preparing items for sale
• Assisting in window dressing
• Helping to keep the shop clean and tidy

Locations and times

• We run eleven shops in Oldham with varying opening times. 

• Find out more about our shops
  
  

The Technology and Us project aims to get older people online and using technology. We believe that for older people to get the most out of technology, it is important for them to learn what they want on their own equipment. Because of this, people may bring in laptops, tablets or smartphones. Please do not be put off if you lack experience with any of these types of devices: We will only put you with people who have equipment you are familiar with.

Voluntary role

• Help to set up the room for classes
• Make tea and coffee for the people who attend
• Provide tuition on laptops, tablets or smartphones
• Create an encouraging and supportive learning environment

Locations and times

• We provide classes at the Chadderton Over Sixties Centre on Broadway. These classes occur on Wednesdays (9:30-11:30 and 13:30-15:30) and Fridays (13:30-15:30)
• On Friday mornings (9:30-11:30) we provide classes at St Herbert's Court
• As a part of this service we also offer home visits that can occur at whatever times suit both you and the client

Requirements:

• A good knowledge of laptops, tablets or smartphones
• A DBS check must be carried out in order for you to volunteer for home visits.

• Find out more about Technology and Us