This is a great opportunity to support a poorly sighted older veteran in your community. Home Visitors/ Buddies provide crucial social interaction for the veterans. Can you provide a once a week or fortnightly visit? This is a purely social visit, you will never be asked to do any personal care. Blind Veterans UK are looking for volunteers for two different veterans. One volunteer will be a friendly face for a cuppa and chat in the veteran’s home. The second should be someone with an interest in vinyl records, music, films and projectors. Although you will be volunteering in the community independently, your manager is only a phone call away. Volunteers must be over the age of 18 years and understand the importance of confidentiality and relationship boundaries. The role can be flexible around your other commitments, but they ask that you are reliable and punctual for the veterans. Training and support are provided to all volunteers.

Food Train Connects provides one to one support services for older people who are no longer able to manage independently, through age, ill health, frailty or disability. Our Connects Phone Friends service is a fantastic way to make an impact on the lives of older people in your community. Our aim is to support older people to eat well, age well and live well. Becoming a Food Train Connects Phone Friend is rewarding and it makes a huge difference to people’s lives. It’s amazing the impact that regular phone call can have on someone who is isolated or lonely. If you want to make sure that an older person is able to live well in their own home this is a great opportunity to do so. The Role: • Contact the older person you are matched with on a regular basis, usually weekly, for a blether on the phone. • Submit brief records and to report any matters of concern to staff • Keep within the boundaries of the role • To inform Food Train Connects Staff of any accidents, incidents or complaints • To maintain confidentiality • To represent Food Train in a professional manner to our members and the wider community

Hand of Solace is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organization working with isolated/lonely elders and young people by offering direct services and support , all designed to help people make the most of life. We have a range of exciting volunteer opportunities to assist in this and would be delighted to hear from anyone interested in joining our great volunteer team. This includes assisting with our Older People Volunteer Befriending Service. Our Older People Volunteer Befrienders are matched on a 1:1 basis with an older person aged 50 and above within the North areas of Aberdeen(including-Stoneywood, Bucksburn, Dyce, Seaton, Northfield and Bridge of Don).Volunteer befrienders visit their befriendees once a week to spend quality time(2-3 hours) with them (which may include support with accessing /attending local activities ) to reduce loneliness and isolation. We’ll give you all the training and support you need to do your role. All help will make a difference and be greatly appreciated. Application forms may be accessed by filling out our volunteers interest form which may be found in our website at https://www.handofsolace.co.uk/apply-to-volunteer-with-us or by requesting through our email- info@handofsolace.co.uk , or by phoning the contact number- 07378432436.

Can you spare a few hours a week to brighten someone’s day? This is a great opportunity to provide crucial social interaction for a veteran, who can’t reach our centres, and can feel isolated or lonely. By popping by once a week or fortnight, a Home Visitor / Buddy is a friendly face that can make all the difference to our veterans. A visit could be a simple chat and a cup of tea, getting involved in shared interests for example playing dominos, or a game, listening to music, watching TV or discussing audio books. You will never be asked to do any personal care. Although you will be working in the community independently, your manager is only a phone call away and there is a network of other volunteers for you to link in with too. Volunteers must be over the age of 18 years and understand the importance of confidentiality and relationship boundaries. The role can be flexible around your other commitments, but we ask that you are reliable and punctual for our veterans. You will be fully trained and supported so you feel comfortable and confident in your volunteering. For more information please contact Gary Flew, Volunteer Coordinator at email: gary.flew@blindveterans.org.uk or tel.: 0751 493 1950.