Volunteer Befriender

• Equal Futures

• VO87193

"Equal Futures (SC033799)

Opportunity Name
Community Event Volunteer
Opportunity Description
Equal Futures is a Scottish charity which aims to reduce social isolation for adults with a learning disability or autism.
Community event volunteers attend and support our regular social events for focus people and their families in Ayrshire. Social events have a theme or activity (such as arts & crafts, coding, Zumba, martial arts, etc.) and volunteers join in with the focus people. This helps to build the focus people’s confidence and skills in social situations.
Community event volunteers can also assist with planning and leading socials if this is of interest to you. This aspect may particularly appeal to people who are either currently or have been involved in community development, social work, youth work, event management, etc. Socials are scheduled, but volunteer attendance at socials is fully flexible and you can RSVP yes or no depending on your commitments.
At the moment, socials are happening remotely via Zoom and are taking the form of 45-minute group catchup calls. The setting is informal and relaxed and is intended to provide sustained social contact for our focus people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full training and PVG checks are still in place to ensure a positive volunteering experience.
The role of community volunteer is a great chance to develop the ‘soft skills’ often requested by prospective employers: organisation, commitment, relationship building, communication, creativity, positivity and teamwork. If you are interested in this volunteering opportunity, we will process your application and invite you to an informal interview to give you more information about the role and to see how we can best support you in your volunteering journey.
Benefits & Perks
• Paid expenses
• References provided in support of your job/internship applications
• Volunteer development plan created if you have specific goals or skills you wish to develop
• Great experience for your CV
• Comprehensive training
• Regular check-ins and supervisions
• A friendly and inclusive community
Skills Required
Our community event volunteers are:
• Warm and friendly
• Approachable
• Compassionate
• Flexible
• Enthusiastic
• Empathetic
• Sociable
• Good listeners
We request a time commitment of 1 academic/calendar year.
Opportunity Name
Volunteer Befriender
Opportunity Description
Equal Futures is a Scottish charity which aims to reduce social isolation for adults with a learning disability or autism. Equal Futures creates circles of support around focus people to help them achieve their goals and make social connections.
Volunteer befrienders, as part of the circle of support, help the focus person to build their confidence and participate in social activities within their community. This may include participating in clubs/classes together or attending EF's monthly social events. Befrienders meet 1:1 with their focus person weekly or fortnightly.
Due to COVID-19, befriending relationships are currently being initiated via text, email, phone, and video calls. We are hosting regular socials on Zoom, with befrienders and focus people attending these in place of the community activities which are currently suspended. Full training and PVG checks are still in place to ensure a positive volunteering experience and to allow a smooth transition for when in-person volunteering is possible in the future.
This opportunity is a chance to make a real difference to an individual’s quality of life, whilst also developing the ‘soft skills’ often requested by prospective employers: communication, organisation, time management, responsibility, active listening, empathy and positivity. If you are interested in this volunteering opportunity, we will process your application and invite you to an informal interview to give you more information about the role and to see how we can best support you in your volunteering journey. Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Equal Futures.
Benefits & Perks
• Paid expenses
• References provided in support of your job/internship applications
• Volunteer development plan created if you have specific goals or skills you wish to develop
• Great experience for your CV
• Comprehensive training
• Regular check-ins and supervisions
• A friendly and inclusive community

Skills Required
• Warm and friendly
• Approachable
• Compassionate
• Flexible
• Dependable
• Empathetic
• Reliable
• Good listeners
We request a time commitment of 1 academic/calendar year.

Images if required"

• About
• Notes

Volunteers (aged 12-25) taking part in this opportunity are eligible to claim Saltire Awards hours for their activity.
Find out more

This volunteering opportunity is also advertised across North Ayrshire.

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