“I look forward to Wednesday evenings as I have a lovely young person phoning me; we have a good laugh and try to put the world to rights.”
About the Organisation
Re-engage provides vital, life-enhancing social connections for older people at a time in their lives when their social circles are diminishing.
Re-engage is making life less lonely for thousands of older people every year. Older people tell us that our volunteer-led activities make them happier and more able to trust others.
As a call companion you’ll make regular telephone calls to an older person experiencing loneliness and isolation. These friendly chats provide a lifeline of friendship for older people and a vital link with the outside world from which they’ve become isolated.
Tasks include:
• Calling the older person you’ve been matched with for approximately 30 minutes either weekly or fortnightly at an agreed time.
• Following the guidance in the online volunteer training so that your call companion calls are enjoyable, appropriate and in line with our charitable aims.
• Keeping in regular contact with Re-engage and reporting any concerns to the team.
What are we looking for?
What will you get from us?
We’re looking for call companions who have
• A friendly nature
• Good listening skills
• Good conversation skills
• Patience and understanding
• A passion for improving the lives of lonely and isolated older people
• Basic computer skills (our inductions, checks and training are all online and our charity is paperless)
This is a fun, flexible and rewarding role which will enable you to connect with and make a real and lasting difference to the life of an older person who is experiencing social isolation or loneliness.
As a valued Re-engage volunteer you’ll receive training, support and regular updates and communication from the Re-engage team.
When do we need you?
Additional Requirements
As soon as possible
• This is a flexible, homebased voluntary role that can easily be fitted in around your own lifestyle and availability.
• We’re looking for call companions who can commit to volunteering for at least 12 months.
• Please note that you must be at least 18 years old to become a Re-engage volunteer.
• To keep our services free for older people, we aren’t able to pay expenses for this role.
It is an ideal role if you want to volunteer from home.