We are hugely in need of Helpline volunteers.
The Helpline is run by Age UK Bristol and acts as the first point of contact for the organisation. Anyone calling will be given information about our current services, and those of other organisations serving older people in Bristol, including:
Active Ageing
Age UK Bristol
Alive!
Alzheimers Society
Bristol & Avon Chinese Women’s Group
Bristol After Stroke
Bristol Ageing Better
Bristol Older People’s Forum
CRUSE
Independent Age
LinkAge
RSVP West
St Monica Trust
The Marmalade Trust
The Reader
WE Care Home Improvement
The Role
As a Helpline volunteer you will be answering calls and responding to queries, signposting, and referring callers to other AUK Bristol services or to Support Hub partners.
You are not required to provide any advice over the phone. Instead, you will be liaising with our Information and Advice team for any callers requiring advice.
This is a hybrid role and can be delivered from our Canningford House office, or from home.
To work from home a volunteer will need:
- Reliable internet connection which can allow video conferencing applications such as Zoom.
- A smartphone
- A computer or tablet
We are encouraging volunteers to come to the office to work on the Helpline, as this means more support can be offered, and will expect new volunteers to come in while going through training and induction, even if in the medium-term working from home will be preferred.
The qualities and skills required for this role are:
- Excellent communication and listening skills.
- Confidence using new applications and software.
- Ability to assimilate new information and convey it in a calm and friendly manner.
- To have an understanding of the needs of older people
- To have an understanding of the barriers older people may face.
- Punctuality and reliability
Training
We offer induction, training and other relevant training opportunities to enable you to fulfil this volunteer role.
Hours
We are currently asking for a minimum of 1 shift of 3 hours each per week. The shifts run 10:00-13:00 Monday to Friday.
Location
AUK Bristol office: Canningford House, Victoria Street, BS1 6BY or work from home – office is preferred if possible.
Expenses
We do not anticipate there being any expenses relating to this role but if reasonable expenses arise (such as travel to central office) we will seek to reimburse these.
Further Information
For further information please contact:
Jayne Connell | Admin Support officer
- Email: volunteering@ageukbristol.org.uk
- Phone: 0117 440 4319