Activity Buddy

• Positive Help

• VO100845

The role of the Activity Buddy is to provide practical support and reduce isolation. The people we work with can find it hard to attend appointments and leisure activities due to poor physical/mental health, limited mobility, social anxiety, or literacy issues. When illness, mobility, or side-effects of medication make housework or going out difficult, we offer support to make the home environment more comfortable.
Volunteers play a vital part in improving service users' physical health, mental well-being, and quality of life through supportive relationships, community connection, creating pathways for personal growth, and collaborative goal setting. By building trust and connection, Volunteers help individuals to thrive within their homes and communities.
As an Activity Buddy, you will be matched with a person, build a trusting relationship, and accompany them in activities to help build up their confidence. This might include joining a person when trying a new hobby, helping within their home, escorting them when grocery shopping, or having regular conversations over the phone

Experience required

• Personal qualities: Empathy, patience, reliability, and a caring, non-judgmental attitude.
• Skills: Good listening, timekeeping, and relationship-building abilities.
• Commitment to values: Upholding Service Users’ confidentiality and maintaining boundaries.

Travel details

Volunteers can meet a Service User in a community location, or at the Service User’s home. The type of travel used can be chosen by the volunteer and will be reimbursed by Positive Help.

Travel expenses

We fully reimburse travel, activity, and other reasonable expenses. We cover all driving expenses, and our mileage rate is 45p per mile. Expenses are paid weekly if submitted by volunteers by Thursday.

• About
• Notes

Support

Training details

We provide comprehensive training and ongoing support to build valuable, transferable skills. Training includes Understanding HIV and Hep C, Stigma, Boundaries, Trauma-Informed Approaches, Safeguarding, and First Aid. We provide ongoing post-session support, guided peer-support, and one-to-one support meetings.

Restrictions

Minimum age: 18

Availability

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

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Morning

Afternoon

Evening

Frequency & commitment

Minimum commitment of 1 month.

Volunteers (aged 18-25) 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 Midlothian.

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