FAQs
Click on a question below:
- What is a Contact the Elderly Group?
- What does a Group consist of?
- How does the Group work?
- What is really special about a Group?
- What type of volunteers are you looking for?
- What skills and qualities do you need to volunteer?
- Are volunteers insured?
- Do you pay expenses?
- Who benefits from Contact the Elderly?
- Who can join a Contact the Elderly group?
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What is a Contact the Elderly Group?
A Contact the Elderly Group is a group of older people and volunteers who get together once a month for friendship in a volunteers home.
A group is made up of between 6-10 isolated older people, 3-5 volunteer drivers (each being assigned one or two older people), a coordinator and sufficient hosts to cover each month of the year.
Each group has a volunteer coordinator. The coordinator ensures the group runs effectively every month. They ensure the drivers know who is attending each month, where to take the older guests and that the hosts know in good time to expect the group and how many are attending. Many coordinators also recruit volunteers to the group. The coordinator is supported in this role by either their Regional Development Officer or the National Volunteer Support Officer.
What is really special about a group?
- They happen on a Sunday, when many other services are closed
- The meetings are often in a private home
- Volunteers take part too and everyone has an enjoyable time
- Drivers and their guests get to know one another
What type of volunteers are you looking for?
People who can extend the warm hand of friendship to isolated older neighbours
- Drivers - who can commit a few hours one Sunday each month
- Hosts - need to be able to provide a warm welcome and afternoon tea for their guests once (or twice) a year
- Group Coordinators - who are able to make a small, but regular, commitment to ensure guests and volunteers know what is happening and when
Other volunteers are always needed to help with Marketing, PR, leaflet delivery, poster design, etc.
What skills and qualities do you need to volunteer?
You need a warm heart, enjoy listening and be able to chat with interest and ease with older people, and have a good sense of humour! Drivers must be safe. Group Coordinators need to be good organisers and clear communicators, being able to solve problems and motivate people around them.
All volunteers are covered by Public and Employee Liability Insurance whilst involved with the work of the Charity. Drivers are expected to have car insurance and to let their insurance companies know about their activity - this should not affect their premium.
We pay out-of-pocket expenses to Coordinators, such as postage and telephone costs.
Who benefits from Contact the Elderly?
The most frail isolated people in our communities. Relatives who live too far away to make regular visits. Volunteers, many of whom get as much out of the outings as the guests do.
Who can join a Contact the Elderly group?
People who:
- live alone with limited, inadequate or no support from family and friends
- have difficulty, for various reasons (ranging from disability to lack of confidence), in getting out of their home on their own
- the most isolated and lonely
- are usually over 75
