At Suffolk Family Carers we are fortunate to be assisted by over 50 volunteers who help support family carers across Suffolk.
- Volunteers cover our reception, greeting visitors to our Claydon Carers centre and supporting our staff with admin.
- Talk & Support, one of our key initiatives, is primarily run by volunteers. Here they make telephone support calls to family carers who may be isolated, have a heavy caring role or care for someone who has lost the power of speech. This role is carried out from the volunteer’s own home or from our Claydon office.
- Volunteers help at our workshops for family carers, by meeting and greeting attendees, setting up the room and making refreshments. We also have volunteers helping with our monthly groups and activities for Younger Carers.
- Volunteers bring new skills and experiences to our organisation, and are very much part of Suffolk Family Carers, and all of our Trustees are volunteers.
We are always looking for volunteers, with the time commitment being from as little as 1 hour per fortnight. Volunteering can be a way of brushing up your skills ahead of getting back into employment, or a means of using skills you already have. Some companies offer their staff paid time off to volunteer. Some of our staff started by volunteering with Suffolk Family Carers before moving into a paid role!
If you, or someone you know would like to find out more about volunteering with Suffolk Family Carers, please contact Frances, our volunteer coordinator on volunteer@suffolkfamilycarers.org or call 01473 835477. Relevant training is provided, and covers areas such as ‘Safeguarding’, ‘Bereavement and Loss’ and ‘Listening Skills’. Volunteers are supported by members of Suffolk Family Carers staff and we can reimburse out of pocket travel expenses. DBS checks are required for anyone volunteering with the Young People’s Services.
People become volunteers for many reasons but here are just a few:
To give something back and feel useful, provide support.
To give some time to a worthwhile charity. I wanted to help and hopefully make a difference. A believer in the difference talking makes.
Having supported my father who had dementia I really appreciated the help Suffolk Family Carers gave me, and wanted to be able to help other people who are in the same situation.
