Connections for Life Friendship Calls.
Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA)
| Name: | Connections for Life Friendship Calls. |
| Organisation: | Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) |
| Location: | Headquarters Royal Air Forces Association, Atlas House, 41 Wembley Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE3 1UT |
| Type: | Part Time |
Description
What will volunteers do?:
• Providing regular social interaction and support to members of the RAF community via telephone contact
• Checking on a beneficiaries welfare and alerting them to available support if needed
• Relaying any concerns to their Connections Coordinator
• Regularly submitting an activity log summarising their interactions so we can make sure everyone is receiving the help they need
All training will be provided so volunteers will be well prepared to take on the volunteer role. Connections Volunteers are required to undertake an online training course, which can take around two hours, and can be completed at a time to suit the volunteer. The training course is certified through AIM, and carries the Investing In Your Future excellence kitemark.
Connections Volunteers will have the whole support of the Association behind them and a designated coordinator as their point of contact, to offer support, advice and guidance.
What is the duration of the volunteering opportunity?: Long term
What skills will volunteers need?
•Patience and empathy, with the ability to build a rapport with others and put them at ease, through a friendly and sensitive approach
• Good listener and communicator
• Reliable and dependable, with the ability to maintain appropriate boundaries
• Volunteers should also be able to work confidentially, in a non-judgemental manner and in line with the RAF Association Volunteer Agreement
Connections Volunteers will also need access to a computer and the internet. This is to allow volunteers to access the required training, which is available online, and to access and submit activity reports via the Connections For Life online portal.
What skills will volunteers develop?
Connections Volunteers will develop a wide variety of skills, including:
• Listening and communications skills
• Building relationships with a wide variety of people
• Research skills (depending on the beneficiary’s requirements, volunteers may research ways to integrate beneficiaries into the community or local groups who may be able to offer support)
This opportunity is suitable for the following groups: All
Is this opportunity suitable for under 18s?: No
Does this opportunuity have gender restrictions?: No
Are out of-pocket expenses covered for volunteers?: Yes
Request Organisation Contact Details
Organisation Description
The RAF Association is one of the leading providers of welfare assistance to the RAF family, providing support to serving and veteran RAF personnel and their families. Our vision is to ensure that their sacrifice does not result in suffering, poverty, loneliness or isolation.
Although we can trace our history back to 1918 (when a number of squadrons and unit associations were formed by those who served as a way to stay in touch), the RAF Association was officially founded in 1943 and is incorporated by Royal Charter, which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II granted to the Association in 1952.
Today, the RAF Association has over 74,000 members and over 400 branches, and provides a number of services and initiatives that, in 2018, supported 85,000 members of the RAF family who required emotional, physical, mental and financial assistance.
RAF serving personnel, veterans and their families make significant sacrifices for their country in pursuit of the RAF’s mission to prevent conflict, protect our skies and deliver aid to those in need. The most obvious sacrifices are loss of life or health. But all members of the RAF family also sacrifice the normal life most people take for granted, such as the chance to see their families every day and to live close to friends and relatives. They do all this to protect the peace and safety we enjoy every day.
When
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Cause / Interests
- Elderly
- Mental Health
- Mentoring
Types of Activity
- Administration
- Advice, Information and Support
- Counselling
Skills and Qualifications
Additional/Specific Suitabilities
| Minimum Age: | 18 | |
| Maximum Age: | NA | |
| Disabled Access: | No | |
| Wheelchair Access: | No | |
| Expenses: | NA | |
| Restrictions: | NA | |
| Induction: | NA | |
| Insurance Cover: | NA | |
| Special Needs: | NA | |
| Offer: | NA | |
| Training: | NA | |
| Other: | NA |
Recruitment Method
Application form, Competency Test