A Virtual Group Volunteer facilitates the remote social groups for our members. These are group calls which are either a video call or telephone call and sometimes working with British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters, depending on your chosen role. You would ensure that participants following the guidelines for the group calls and, where required, engage in conversations of mutual interest offering support and company to the group. Your involvement can greatly improve our members’ quality of life and reduce their isolation.
What’s involved?
- Hosting a recurring group meeting with the same people on a fortnightly basis (the meeting and invitations will have been generated for you in advance by a member of the Deafblind UK staff team)
- To ensure all members participating in the call are welcomed and actively joined into the group
- To enable the members to discuss topics of their choice without discriminating against anyone
- To engage in conversations of mutual interest with members and to provide encouragement to maintain the flow of conversation for the allotted time
- To provide advice and guidance to a deafblind person to a level appropriate within a mutual friendship
- To provide regular updates of your volunteering activity to your named Deafblind UK contact to flag any concerns or queries
- To assist in making the groups fully accessible for our members
How much commitment do I need to give?
We would like you to commit to at least one hour per fortnight. The meetings are scheduled at a fixed recurring day and time, so you will need to be regularly available at that scheduled time. We host multiple groups, so there should be one that fits in well with your regular routines.
Am I suitable?
We are looking for volunteers who are:
- Willing to share their own personal interests with members who have similar or the same interests
- Willing to engage in conversations with deafblind people to share interests
- Willing to learn communication techniques to meet the needs of the deafblind person / people (full training will be provided)
- Aged 18 or over
- Based in the UK
- Have access to the internet and a device to complete Deafblind UK online volunteer training. This will take approximately 2-3 hours.
- Are able to commit to the role for at least three months
How will I benefit?
By volunteering with us, you will:
- Have the satisfaction of knowing you are making a real difference to the lives of people with dual sensory loss
- Get opportunities to meet like-minded people and make new friends
- Be part of a friendly and dedicated team
- Acquire new communication and awareness skills
- Establish positive employability skills to help you in your career path
What support will I get?
We ensure all volunteers who join our team are well equipped to undertake any tasks and we will provide training and supervision throughout your journey with us. Any specific training will be outlined within your onboarding and induction stages and then discussed at your reviews with your named lead contact.
We also hold regular informal online volunteer get togethers where you can meet other volunteers, discuss volunteer activities and share good practice. This role is purely voluntary, and this arrangement is not meant to be a legally binding one or an employment contract.
