Volunteer
Have you ever thought of volunteering?
If so, here is a short description about each volunteering activity to help you decide which you would prefer. Of course you don’t have to choose one! For each activity there is relevant training to enable you to do what is required, for some tasks this is more in depth than for others, ongoing support and out of pocket expenses are also provided. All of the roles will involve you undergoing a Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure.
There are contact names and numbers for you to call for more information or a friendly chat!
We look forward to working with you.
Kitchen Assistants
Volunteers help with the preparation of meals, snacks and drinks at Dudley Day Centre in Stafford Street, Dudley, take orders, serve food and handle cash.
Day Care Helpers
Volunteers help older people attending Dudley Day Centre in Stafford Street on Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays. This includes helping our clients with everyday needs, listening and talking, helping with activities in the centre and enabling on organised trips.
We also need Carers on Mondays and Tuesdays to assist clients on days out, helping those with mobility difficulties giving them support and confidence.
Drivers
Volunteer mini bus drivers transport our clients to and from their home on Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays. Regular drivers are required as well as those who are able to offer occasional help.
We also need mini bus drivers to help out with our Community Connect Project on Mondays and Tuesdays. This involves collecting clients from their home and driving them to a variety of organised venues, for example theatre visits, garden centres, meals out. Locally and a little further afield.
People, who are interested in using their own car for taking individual older people to a variety of places such as libraries, activities or to visit relatives in hospital etc., please look at the Home Visitor section.
Escorts
Escorts assist drivers in collecting people from their homes and bringing them into the day centres. It could involve helping someone using a wheelchair to get on the bus.
People who are interested in escorting people on trips and outings or one-to-one basis please go to the home visitor section. detailed below.
For more information about the above call René Evans – Volunteer Support Officer – 01384 356150
Merry Hill Activity & Well Being Centre
Volunteers are needed for general help in the centre, meeting and greeting clients, serving drinks, helping with activities such as I.T. classes and office assistance.
The centre is located on the outside of the Mall at Merry Hill, between Sainsbury’s and Argos
For more information call in at the centre or contact René Evans – Volunteer Support Officer – Tel: 01384 356150
Office Help
Volunteers assist with all general office duties including answering the telephone, word processing, photocopying, designing and producing posters and flyers etc. For those who are interested volunteers can also help with organising events and activities.
For more information call René Evans – Volunteer Support Officer –
Tel: 01384 356150
Trading Volunteers
Volunteers arrange a range of insurance and other products for older people. These products include Home and Contents, travel, motor and motor breakdown insurances, Aid Call and Funeral Plans. Experience in arranging insurance is not necessary but computer skills are required. Age UK Dudley is approved by the Financial Services Authority and we arrange full training and support to enable volunteers to undertake this role. – see vacancies section.
Many people appreciate dealing with people in person, rather than over the telephone and this is a good opportunity to help and meet people. The income generated from the Trading activities provides valuable funds to the charity enabling them to provide services for local older people.
The Trading office is based at 3 Birdcage Walk, Dudley
Further volunteers would enable us to expand the service
For more information call in to Birdcage Walk and ask for Paul Surman or call René Evans – Volunteer Support Officer- Tel: 01384 356150
Information Advisers
Volunteers, with training, respond to a wide variety of enquiries from older people either by telephone or in person. Using Age Concern Fact Sheets and a library of local literature people can be informed of what is available and sign posted where necessary. Volunteers may also help older people fill in forms or with developing our outreach service.
For more information contact
René Evans – Volunteer Support Officer – 01384 356150
Small Tasks Volunteers
To help older people with limited mobility with simple everyday tasks, that are too small to interest a local tradesperson, but vital to the safety and wellbeing of an older person. For example, changing light bulbs, smoke alarm batteries, smoothing out wrinkles in carpets etc.
For more information call Debbie Kelleher on 01384 355941
Home Visitors, Good Neighbour Volunteers
As well as providing regular visits to older people in their own homes, volunteers in this project may take isolated older people to visit their lifelong friends and family, or may act as a friendly companion giving an older person the support or encouragement they need to either join a new club or make use of a community facility such as the library.
For more information contact Mark, Julie or Judy on 01384 354512
or René Evans – Volunteer Support Officer - 01384 356150
Health Mentors
Under the Ageing Well umbrella older people are trained to be health mentors for their peers. The role of the health mentor is to pass on or give information about healthy lifestyle issues and encourage and assist people who wish to have a healthier lifestyle. Volunteers may work with individuals or in groups.
For more information call Maggie Thompson – 01384 343535
René Evans – Volunteer Support Officer – 01384 356150
Walk Leaders
After training volunteers take groups of people out on local organised walks.
For more information call Maggie Thompson – 01384 343535
René Evans – Volunteer Support Officer – 01384 356150
Fundraisers
We would like to hear from groups or individuals that are interested in fundraising for our valuable work. You may like to organise or take part in activities or events, you may be already taking part in activity and looking for a charity that you can collect sponsorship for, or you may even be willing to take part in collections etc. with the support of our Development Officer.
For more information please call Brian Phillips on 01384 357113
Or René Evans on 01384 356150
Committee Members
The Board of Trustees and it’s Executive Committee must reflect the breadth of society in which we work. We require a balance of skills e.g. financial, legal, management. All of our work is supported by committees who take responsibility for specific areas e.g. Operations, Development, Trading. We require people with interest and commitment to serve on these committees. For more information and a friendly chat contact:
Sally Huband, Chief Officer, Tel: 01384 354510
or René Evans – Volunteer Support Officer, Tel: 01384 356150
