Volunteer vacancies

The Link Visiting Scheme is looking for volunteers to give some of their time regularly to make isolated older people in their community feel connected and valued. Volunteers range from welcoming older people to events to dreaming up exciting fundraising opportunities. Take a look at the different roles below and see what you think might suit you best.

Befriending volunteer

Our volunteers make cherished relationships and bring companionship and joy to those struggling with loneliness in Wokingham Borough. We match people with people to create friendships that make life better and will carefully match you with an individual who we think would be a good fit. Request a volunteer pack→

  • Flexible (average time is 1-2 hours a week or fortnight). We ask you to give one or two hours per week or per fortnight to offer friendship and support. Volunteering with us is all about building friendships, so a commitment of at least 6 months is needed.

  • We will provide Volunteer Induction Training, Safeguarding Training and guidance on the role.

  • Via our Volunteer Manager Karan Pollard

  • We’re looking for friendly individuals with listening skills and a non-judgemental attitude. Honesty, empathy, reliability and respect for confidentiality are crucial.

Driver

Each week we have a variety of activities and events that older people need transport for. We are looking for reliable drivers to pick up our Link Friends and deliver them safely to the activity and drive them home again. All volunteers are welcome to attend the activity with prior notice. This is a crucial role in alleviating the painful effects of loneliness and enabling older people to access groups and connect with the wider community. Request a volunteer pack→

  • Variable depending on each volunteer availability and to be determined fortnightly in advance. Drivers required for weekdays and weekends.

  • We will provide Volunteer Induction Training, Safeguarding Training and guidance on helping Link Friends in and out of a car and folding and storing walking aids safely. You will a full driver’s licence.

  • Via our Volunteer Manager Karan Pollard

  • This role is a great fit for you if you’re reliable, great at time-keeping and a good driver with a clean track record.

Digital volunteer

In Woodley / Earley

From family chats on FaceTime and WhatsApp messaging to online food deliveries and banking, being online is more important than ever. Link Online provides older people with tablet computers and digital volunteers provide one-to-one support to our Link Friends to help them gain confidence, either for 4 months during which they borrow one of our Android tablets or with their own device. Request a volunteer pack→

  • Flexible (average time is 1-2 hours a week or fortnight). This would be for the duration of the loan of a tablet (4 months) or in the case of the Link Friend’s own device we anticipate 3 or 4 months

  • We will provide Volunteer Induction Training, Safeguarding Training and guidance on the role. Appropriate IT skills are a prerequisite for this role but extra technical support is always available.

  • Via our Volunteer Manager, Karan Pollard and our Digital Inclusion Officer, Stuart Tayler.

  • We’re looking for friendly individuals with the ability keep technical explanations simple and are prepared to be very patient, possibly repeating the same concepts multiple times.

Activity Companion

As part of our commitment to enabling Link Friends to feel connected to their community again, we encourage those struggling with loneliness and who are able, to access community groups and activities that are of interest to them. This could be a bowls club, a singing group, a ramblers session, a bridge club, an exercise class... The list is endless.

Once we have helped an older person choose an activity they would like, near to where they live, we need a volunteer to take them for the first time. Perhaps introduce them to the group leader and stay with them until they feel confident. We’ve found this to be the most important step in helping our Link Friends gain the motivation and confidence needed to make friends in the community again. Request a volunteer pack→

  • Ideally once or twice a week, for a few hours each time.

  • We will provide Volunteer Induction Training, Safeguarding Training and guidance on the role.

  • Via our Friendship Alliance project lead, Jayne Streak and our Volunteer Manager, Karan Pollard.

  • We’re looking for cheerful and positive individuals who understand the barriers to joining groups for the first time. Someone non-judgemental with empathy for the serious impact of loneliness on confidence and motivation.

Friendship Centre Support

This brand new venture is where anyone struggling with loneliness, no matter how big or small, can find us, meet people in a warm and friendly environment, get advice and support and most importantly have some fun. We are looking for volunteers to help us set up and run our Friendship Tables, serve refreshments, help with clearing tables and setting up and welcoming people for group sessions. Request a volunteer pack→

  • From an hour to the whole day (10 am to 4 pm) each Thursday from September. Availability is to be agreed upon two weeks in advance.

  • We will provide Volunteer Induction Training, Safeguarding Training, role-specific training such as café work and First Aid training.

  • Via our Volunteer Manager Karan Pollard

  • We’re looking For volunteers who are warm and friendly, great at facilitating conversations and putting people at ease. Creativity is a plus (though not essential!) Flexible and calm, not afraid to roll their sleeves up if needed.

Link Friend Feedback Phone Calls

This role involves calling our Link Friends on the phone and asking them how they are getting on with their volunteer and if they have any particular changes we may need to know about. Some calls may last a few minutes and some calls may take longer depending on how chatty our Link Friend is! The information gathered is important to us and care is needed to document it well so that we are kept right up to date with our Link Friends. Request a volunteer pack→

  • Weekly (ideally) for 1 to 2 hours. (more time if desired!)

  • Confident basic IT skills are required. We will provide Volunteer Induction Training, Safeguarding Training, training on our database and how to fill in our Microsoft Form. We will also provide some basic guidance on organisations and services in the borough.

  • Via our Client Services Administrator Martha Bryant and our Befriending Officer, Kate Austin.

  • We’re looking for a volunteer who is happy talking to people on the phone and able to ask questions in a friendly and approachable way. Someone who has experience of older people would be ideal and who is relaxed about using our database and filling in a Microsoft form. This would suit somebody who likes an office environment or volunteering from home.

Friendship Group Leader

If you like socialising and meeting new people, this is the role for you! We introduce Link Friends and volunteers together in a small group either based on interests, location or time available with the aim to broaden everyone’s social circle and create more opportunities to do things together in a group. This may suit people who prefer a less intense one-to-one friendship. Request a volunteer pack→

  • Weekly or fortnightly for 1 to 2 hours

  • We will provide Volunteer Induction Training, Safeguarding Training and First Aid Training

  • Via our Activities and New Services Manager Clare Randell.

  • We’re looking for volunteers who are positive and cheerful and able to get everyone talking. We’re looking for volunteers who can encourage and motivate our Link Friends to come out and meet with others.

Fundraising Friend

We run fundraising events and activities that vary from golf days, to quiz evenings to curry nights to sponsored walks and adventurous challenges. We are looking for volunteers who can help us plan, organise, help on the day and mix in with what needs doing! Request a volunteer pack→

  • This role is flexible depending on the event, activity or idea!

  • We will provide Volunteer Induction Training

  • Via Our Fundraising Manager, Liz McDaniel

  • We’re looking for helpful volunteers who are happy to roll their sleeves up with a variety of tasks and roles!

If you have any questions about volunteering, please get in touch! You can reach us here →