GET INVOLVED

VOLUNTEERING

What is volunteering?

Volunteers are not paid - not because they are worthless but because they are priceless - WE NEED VOLUNTEERS PLEASE APPLY NOW

 

We believe older people deserve meaningful relationships, personal choice, and as much control over their lives as possible. Our volunteers believe that too.We have volunteers from all walks of life that give up their free time, unpaid, to get involved in many different projects that are aimed at keeping residents happy and making houses fun places to live.


Why People Volunteer
People volunteer for a variety of reasons:
  • To help others
  • To use existing skills or learn new ones
  • To gain experience
  • To do something different
  • To meet new people
  • To enhance their CV
  • To have fun

Volunteer Management

For volunteers to benefit from their involvement with Elm Trees, it is helpful that this range of motivations is understood and we bear this in mind when making volunteer placements.
Volunteers expect to be treated as valued members of the Elm Trees team.  They are offered the same management and support as we offer our staff.  Volunteers are also offered on-going training which is appropriate to their role.

How you can help

Some of our residents need nothing more than a chat with a friend, while others need a little more help - for instance, with their shopping or getting to the doctor. You may even want to get involved in bigger projects, like organising social events and fundraising.
One of the great things about helping older people is that every day is different! Whatever volunteer role you choose, you can expect to have a variety of experiences. If you think we sound like the kind of organisation that you want to help then we would love to hear from you. Volunteers are definitely part of the Elm Trees team, no matter how much or how little time you can give.

Volunteer Opportunities

You might be surprised to find out how many different volunteering opportunities we have and that we encourage volunteers to use as much or as little creativity as they want.

Skills-based volunteering

Skills-based volunteers come to us from a range of backgrounds and are often looking to improve their existing skills or try their hand at something completely new. As a skilled volunteer, we would use your specialised talents whilst tailoring a specific volunteer role to meet your needs.

How you can help

We have a range of skills-based roles available including marketing, fundraising and volunteer management. However, if you have a skill that does not fit into one of our current vacancies then we would still be very interested in talking to you.Many of our skilled volunteers can do their work from home, but if you did need to travel then we are happy to reimburse your out-of-pocket expenses.
The great thing about being a skills-based volunteer is that you will often get the opportunity to complete a project from start to finish with measurable results. Having the chance to apply your talents in a new environment, you will get to see the real difference that you make to a very worthy cause.

Hands-on volunteering

Many volunteers have a direct impact on our residents’ lives by volunteering in one of our houses.  Some simply come in to have a chat with residents, whilst others organise social outings or even teach residents how to use iPads.
There are many hands-on volunteer roles available on our volunteer opportunities page, including befriendingand gardening. If you are a people person, looking to develop new friendships with residents and other like-minded volunteers, then hands-on volunteering could be ideal for you.The beauty of being a hands-on volunteer is that every day is different.  Whether you come in everyday or just on a monthly basis, you will collect a wide range of experiences, which will continue to grow as you become more familiar with the residents.You will become a part of the house and will help to complement the work that the staff already do.  The great thing about being a hands-on volunteer is that you will really get to see the difference that you make to residents’ lives.

Short-term volunteering

As a short-term volunteer you will initially help us for up to 12 weeks, with the option of continuing to volunteer afterwards.This type of volunteer work is ideal for both younger volunteers who may, for example, be completing their Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and professionals who are taking a career break.Our short-term projects are very diverse and new opportunities frequently become available. If you are a younger volunteer, you may choose to take part in IT mentoring which involves teaching our residents how to use an iPad.
For professionals, one popular project is to take one of houses with low occupancy levels, perform some market research on the factors causing this, and then produce a list of recommendations that can be implemented into a local marketing plan.Short-term volunteering will provide you with the opportunity to complete a task from start to finish, even if you are a bit short of time. By developing projects that have a clear aim, it will be easy for you to articulate to friends, family or future employers how you have made a difference in such a limited space of time.
There are plenty of volunteering roles with Elm Trees. Please see below what is available.

Trustee

Elm Trees Trustees have a range of skills and experience which allow them to help the house develop and grow.  Trustees enhance the lives of older people and provide for the long term viability of the house.  This includes:

  • Determining the strategic direction of the Charity.
  • Providing leadership and oversight over the Charity’s activities and setting robust frameworks to ensure efficient operations control and delivery of services.
  • Ensuring that the local community are aware of the Charity and what they do.
  • Maintaining good records of the business.
  • Ensuring all legal and regulatory compliance.

Social Media Co-ordinator

  • Identify online groups/forums/websites used by older people where there is the potential to promote Elm Trees.
  • Create and write blogs that will raise the profile of Elm Trees.
  • Use the social platforms of Facebook and Twitter to keep followers posted on exciting Elm Trees news in the local area.

Fundraising Co-ordinator

  • Attend local fundraising events and help organise in-house promotional events.
  • Establish links with local community groups, businesses, local media and possible donors.
  • Co-ordinate the production of fundraising materials.

Buddy

  • Build a friendship with an Elm Trees resident.
  • Encourage residents to pursue existing interests and try out new hobbies.
  • Escort residents on shopping trips, doctors’ appointments, hair dressers etc.

PR and Event Co-ordinator

  • Co-ordinate publicity and bookings for events.
  • Attend promotional events that could benefit Elm Trees.
  • Supervise the production and distribution of publicity brochures, handouts, leaflets and photographs to promote the event.
  • Respond to, and keep the office informed of, enquiries from the public, media and other organisations.

Community Ambassador

  • Engage with local community groups, schools and churches.
  • Actively seek out and attend community events that could raise the profile of Elm Trees.
  • Help organise events that the local community could be invited to.

Social Club and Activity Planner

  • Enhance the wellbeing of residents by organising a social club based on residents’ input.
  • Social clubs could include:  a book club, film club, gardening group.
  • Promote the social club amongst Elm Trees' residents.
  • Research activities that residents would enjoy and work with the Housekeeper.

Get in Contact
It is simple.  Have a look at the volunteer vacancies and apply using the application form online.  If you are not sure what you are interested in you can still complete the application form.  You will be invited to have a chat with the Group Manager who will involve the House Manager and discuss volunteer roles and find out more about the house and its residents.  We will send off for a 2 references and a Disclosure and Barring System (DBS) check too.  This is a simple process which we do on your behalf.  Once we have these back you will be free to start volunteering.

Email us about getting started at info@elmtreesretirementliving.org or give us a call on 02392 739322 about getting started as a volunteer.

JOBS

Job Vacancies
Elm Trees has 4 houses providing sheltered accommodation for older people in the Solent area and rely on committed staff to support over 30 residents.  There are lots of ways to get involved, from part-time work to full-time careers.

Check our current job vacancies - we have no vacancies at the moment.

Working at Elm Trees Retirement Living Limited.

At Elm Trees we want you not only to feel stimulated and challenged, but also to be rewarded for your hard work - and here's how:

  • Competitive pay and holiday - We regularly check our salaries against other charities to make sure our pay is competitive. We also review your basic pay yearly, and all our staff get a minimum of 20 days annual holiday + 1 day for every year worked up to 5 years.  We work this out pro rata for part-time staff.
  • Training and career development - We invest in your career. We encourage you to aim high and reach your full potential through training and development programmes, and regular evaluations.
  • Care and Support - most of our staff work as Housekeepers, Relief Housekeepers, Domestic support or Managers. We tailor our services to meet the needs of individual residents, so your day-to-day work can vary enormously. The most important thing is that you're flexible and share our commitment to helping older people lead more fulfilling lives.


Job Application Form

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