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Virtual Buddying is a 1:1 befriending service that matches anyone aged 5+ with a disability living in the UK with a volunteer for a weekly telephone or video call. As a volunteer you’ll arrange weekly sessions and if you and you buddy want to do activities together you will have to plan fun things to do together – what this looks like will be inspired by your mutual interests. You could be gaming, doing arts and crafts, playing music, seed planting – there are so many possibilities! The Virtual Buddying team can support with ideas. It may even be that you and your buddy simply choose to have a social chat each week. The idea of Virtual Buddying is to reduce social isolation and loneliness, develop new skills and friendships and improve wellbeing. The service is completely remote and buddies do not meet up face to face. Key duties • Contact your buddy or their family/carers to organise a weekly session, including setting times and arranging how you will contact each other. • Plan and carrying out weekly sessions - what this looks like will be tailored specifically to the individual e.g. chatting, playing games, taking part in arts and crafts, cooking, listening to music etc. • We will provide you with ideas and support to help you plan activities and interactions with your buddy. • Stay in touch with Sense to feedback how your match is going.
• Enthusiastic and motivated with a positive attitude. • Flexible, proactive, reliable and trustworthy. • A team player who is good with people and enjoys interacting with people. • Willing to develop the knowledge and skills to get to know and support people who are deafblind, have sensory impairments or complex needs effectively. • Respectful of others and their diversity. • Interested making a difference to people who have complex disabilities and are deafblind.
• The opportunity to develop new skills and knowledge • A full onboarding programme including training • The chance to meet people from a wide range of backgrounds and join a passionate volunteering team. • The opportunity to make an invaluable contribution to Sense and the people we support. • Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses (agreed in advance). • A reference for other paid or voluntary work (available on request).
1 hour – once a week
