Introduction
Friends Ageing Better (FAB) is looking for volunteers with LGBT+ backgrounds/experience to host regular catch-up cafes for LGBT+ older people. This is to help create a friendly, warm and inclusive atmosphere for older LGBT+ people who attend. FAB is a community of older people who share what is happening in the city, while building relationships with like-minded people, who live locally and benefit from discounts from local businesses and venues. The FAB project is run by Age UK Bristol and partners.
The Cafés for LGBT+ older people runs every week on a Thursday, 10am – 12noon at Woods Café in St Werburgh’s Community Centre.
About Age UK Bristol
At Age UK Bristol we help make sure that everyone in Bristol can love later life. We do this by supporting and empowering older people, helping other organisations to work together, and championing the interests of older people in the city.
Our organisational objectives are to:
- Provide top-quality services and support to all older people in Bristol.
- Lead and enable collaboration between other organisations working with older people in Bristol
- Influence public spending and policies in a way that benefits older people in the city
- Promote positive attitudes to ageing in Bristol
We do this by:
- Providing quality information
- Delivering quality services
- Involving older people
- Giving older people a voice
- Working in partnership
- Maintaining an effective organisation
Volunteers are important and valued members of the team at Age UK Bristol. We will do our best to make your volunteer experience enjoyable and rewarding.
Purpose of the LGBT+ Café Host Volunteer
FAB is looking to recruit friendly volunteer hosts who have an LGBT+ background/understanding of the experiences of older LGBT+ people. This is to help create a friendly, warm and inclusive atmosphere for older LGBT+ people who attend the café. Hosts will support the cafes in pairs or alongside a member of staff.
This is a varied role and can involve:
- Welcoming new older people joining the catch-up café
- Promoting your local catch-up café in your area
- Keeping sign-up sheets for attendees at cafes
- Promoting FAB membership
- Providing information about events and activities happening in the local area with the support of the FAB team
- Adhering to all Age UK Bristol policies and procedures, such as Confidentiality, Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities.
- Attending training sessions and volunteer meetings as appropriate.
The qualities and skills required for this role are
- Welcoming and friendly disposition
- Good communication skills
- Good knowledge of your local area not essential but desirable
- IT literacy is not essential but desirable
- An understanding of the needs of older people
Hours and location
Thursday, 10am – 12noon at Woods Café in St Werburgh’s Community Centre, Harley Road, St Werburghs, Bristol BS2 9TJ
Training
We offer induction training and other relevant training opportunities to enable you to fulfil this volunteer role.
Expenses
Age UK Bristol will pay reasonable travel expenses. We can provide transportation to the café and back, and we will cover your expenditure at the café within reason.
Further Information
For further information, please contact;
Susan Forde – FAB Communications
- E-mail: susanforde@ageukbristol.org.uk
- Phone: 0117 440 43 01