Connections for Life Friendship Calls

Connections for Life Friendship Calls

Loneliness affects tens of thousands of people across the RAF community. Whether it’s a veteran struggling to adapt to life after service, or a family member facing difficulties alone, loneliness can be devastating to people’s mental and physical health.

Connections for Life is the RAF Association’s welfare service that fights loneliness with friendship and creates a resilient, empowered and thriving RAF community who are able to remain independent.

Everyone has a story, but not everyone has someone to share it with. We are here to listen and to hear that person’s story.

What will volunteers be doing?

• 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 skills will volunteers develop?

Connections Volunteers will develop a wide variety of skills, including:

• Listening and communication 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

What is the duration of the volunteering opportunity?

Long term

About Royal Air Forces Association

Charity that supports the RAF Family.

What skills do I 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.

Details

• Age restrictions
  18 plus
• DBS check required
• Equal Opportunities Policy
• Health and Safety Policy
• Ongoing support
  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.
• Training provided
  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.
• Volunteer induction
• Volunteer Policy
• Volunteers covered by insurance
• Vulnerable Adults Policy (where relevant)
• Written role description

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