Volunteering with Age UK Teesside

Do you love listening and talking? Would you like to support someone to get involved in their community? 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 Teesside. 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 team.

So whether it’s encouraging participation in wellbeing services or helping an older person regain confidence, if you have the time, no matter how little, there are many ways in which you can get involved.

What's it like to be an Age UK Teesside volunteer?

Linda decided to volunteer for older people with Age UK Teesside after she retired. She's now friends with Margaret, and has been visiting her weekly. 

Linda shares what befriending means to her. "I retired a few years ago and, although I've really enjoyed spending quality time lunching with friends, holidaying with my husband and playing with my gorgeous grandchildren, I felt that I wanted to do something else in my latter years that would be helpful to someone in my local community.

"I saw a volunteer advert in the community and it seemed to match my skills and I decided that I would like to offer support to an older person who is living on their own and I went straight to the contact information to apply"

The perfect fit

"Volunteering fitted the bill perfectly for me. This was what I wanted to do. It only takes about an hour of your time each week to support. I chose to make weekly visits.

"I completed an application form and was contacted immediately to arrange an informal interview. At the meeting, I found out more about the organisation’s work and I shared my background and interests and hobbies.  A 'disclosure and barring check’ was conducted to ensure that I was a suitable person and I provided 2 references.

"Next, I attended an induction for newly recruited volunteers which was extremely helpful. I felt very valued by the Age UK Teesside team.

"I was quickly matched with a lady in her 80s who lives on her own near to my home. I was really excited!"

Meeting Margaret

"The team member accompanied me on my first visit. We were introduced and, as we sat talking together, I knew that we were a great match. We had so much in common!  

"I was told that she was keen to attend local wellbeing groups but lacked confidence due to her loneliness and lack of engagement in her local community. We soon developed a good rapport and on my second visit we arranged for me to support her to attend a group in Hemlington. 

I have been supporting Margaret for a couple of months now and look forward to my volunteering. She is such a lovely lady with a wicked sense of humour!

"What we do during my visits can vary – I have supported her to attend groups and I've also taken her to her hairdressing appointments.  The aim of the project is to enable participation and I will continue to support Margaret until she is confident in doing this herself.  She has made friends at the group and there are others there who are in a similar position as her."

"My visits tend to last longer than an hour but that is my choice. Most importantly, we have fun and we value each other."

"I have found my niche and it is humbling to know that I am making such a difference to someone's life."