Volunteers can help in one or more of the following sections:-

• Duty Officers – process the telephone requests and find a suitable volunteer for the client. The Duty Officers work from home and are usually on duty - one day per month, their office documentation and stationery is portable and they transfer it to the next day’s Duty Officer after office hours. You can read about a duty officer's typical day.
• Bag Movers – kindly transfer the bags for those Duty Officers who are unable to transfer the bags themselves. Usually about 14 transfers required each - month, therefore frequency for each volunteer is about once every other month.
• Transport – volunteers use their own cars to transport clients usually in and around St Albans, but sometimes further afield. About half of the - journeys involve taking clients to hospital appointments, a quarter are social e.g. family visits, shopping expeditions and community centres, the - remainder are classified as medical, i.e. doctors surgeries, dentists, opticians, clinics etc.
• Regular Shopping – volunteers provide help with shopping, relieve carers and collect prescriptions usually for those clients who are housebound.
• Practical Help – volunteers can help with a variety of odd jobs and minor repairs as well as one-off gardening and moving furniture.
• Befriending – volunteers visit the elderly in their own homes about once a week, to provide companionship and a chat when needed.

Disclosure & Barring Service Checks

New Drivers, Befrienders and Regular Shopping volunteers are required to have a DBS check. This is administered through Care Check Limited. Further information given by the relevant Section Leader.

Safeguarding

We are committed to ensuring the welfare of our volunteers and everyone we help. For more information, read our safeguarding policy which is available via our helpline.

How to become a volunteer

If you would like to talk to someone first, please telephone the scheme between 9am and 1pm every day on 01727 830 713.

Alternatively you can fill in in the online volunteer application form or download a volunteer application form.