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Practical / DIY

Activity Buddy

  • Positive Help
  • VO67857

Description

The role of the Activity Buddy is to provide practical support and reduce isolation. The people we work with can find it hard to attend appointments and leisure activities due to poor physical/mental health, limited mobility, social anxiety or literacy issues. When illness, mobility, or side-effects of medication make housework or going out difficult, we offer support to make the home environment more comfortable. Volunteers play a vital part in improving service users' physical health, mental well-being and quality of life through supportive relationships, community connection, creating pathways for personal growth and collaborative goal setting. By building trust and connection, volunteers help individuals to thrive within their homes and communities. As an Activity Buddy, you will be matched with a person, build a trusting relationship, and accompany them in activities to help build up their confidence. This might include joining a person when trying a new hobby, helping within their home, escorting them when grocery shopping or having regular conversations over the phone.

Organisation aims and objectives

Positive Help offers practical help to people affected by HIV and/or Hepatitis C in Edinburgh and the Lothians. The four core services are delivered by a team of trained volunteers. The services provided include: Befriending for children and young people; Home Support (cleaning, de-cluttering, painting, DIY, gardening, and other domestic tasks); a free Transport service, which helps people to get to and from medical appointments as well as support groups or local supermarkets; and Study Buddies, a homework mentoring service for children.

Availability

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening

Restrictions

Experience required: Many of the Service Users we support have experienced traumatic events in their life and suffer from health conditions. Therefore, as a Home Support volunteer you will need to be kind, patient and personable in order to be able to offer a supportive and non-judgemental listening ear. You need not have any specific DIY or gardening skills, though if you possess any we welcome you to use them. Contact us: 0131 225 4766 or admin@positivehelpedinburgh.co.uk
Travel details: You will travel to a risk-assessed Service User’s home or meet in a community location. Additionally, you can accompany a person to a block of weekly meetings such as a pottery class, yoga class or even join them on a bus journey to help ease their social anxieties.
Minimum age: 18

Support

Expenses paid: Yes
Expenses details: After each session you will complete a feedback and expenses form. You can claim money back for the cost of public transport/fuel. You will then be reimbursed within a week of submitting the form.

Last updated 24 days ago

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