New Volunteer Befriender roles in Adult Centres
Are you interested in providing friendship and support to adults with learning disabilities?
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is now seeking Volunteer Befrienders based in Adult Centres across the area for the first time.
Through this new role, volunteers will work closely with service users to develop their confidence and independence through companionship, compassion and encouragement.
Paula Marshall, the Trust’s Health & Wellbeing Manager for Volunteering & Inclusion, said: “We are very pleased to offer these new opportunities throughout our network of Adult Centres. Volunteer Befrienders will support staff to ensure we are providing meaningful and enriching day-to-day experiences for our service users, while creating a real sense of belonging and purpose for everyone involved.
“Becoming a volunteer offers many benefits, and in this role you can look forward to meeting new people, helping others and developing your own skills, while gaining a useful insight in to the health and social care sector.
“If this appeals to you, and you have a genuine interest in helping people within a Learning Disability setting, please get in touch with us.”
Susan Hoy (pictured above with Evelyn Redmond) has been a Macmillan volunteer for the past nine years.
Reflecting on her experiences during that time she said: “I love meeting all those who use the services I’m involved in. People have many different needs and it’s good to be able to come alongside them to help where I can.
“It’s a real privilege to be a volunteer sharing in people lives and I feel I receive so much more from my volunteer role than I give. It’s a very rewarding thing to do so I encourage anyone thinking about applying for this new service to do it. You will not regret it.”
Volunteer Befriender opportunities are now available in ten different centres – Rathmoyle (Ballycastle), Mountfern (Coleraine), Millbrook (Ballymoney), Magherafelt Adult Centre, Cookstown Adult Centre, George Sloan Centre (Ballymena), Hawthorns (Carrickfergus), Drumross (Newtownabbey), Larne Adult Centre and Antrim Adult Centre. Location preferences can be made on application:
Suitability Conversations will be held week commencing September 4th, with training due to take place on September 21st from 7pm – 9pm online via Microsoft Teams and in-person on Friday 6th October at 10.15am in Coleraine and October 13th at 9.30am in Ballymena.
For further information, or to request an application pack, please contact volunteer.service@northerntrust.hscni.net.
The closing date for this volunteer role is August 31st 2023.
11th August 2023
