Does anyone volunteer with people with disabilities?

[Brokensunrise]

Sorry for the broad title! I'd like to start looking again at volunteering (I had started to research but gave up when covid came along). I'd like to do something with people, maybe helping to care for people with learning disabilities or befriending. I haven't had a great deal of experience - apart from I've done a few weeks at Revitalise (charity which provides respite care in a holiday type environment). That was residential, though.

Does anyone do anything similar on a weekly basis? I'm based in London.

I used to. I volunteered with headway for a few years, helping out at their day centre, playing games and chatting to their service users and supporting some to use the art room.
I found the vacancy on the do it volunteering website.

I really enjoyed it!

Thanks @Jessicabrassica I will look them up
I have looked through the do it volunteering website but couldn't find much other than the usual Age Uk etc at the time. Obviously at the moment it's all fairly restricted with covid anyway...

yes! I help at a swimming group for the disabled, one group of adults and another of kids, so rewarding and they are so happy to have help. Also it gives their parents/carers a total break for a while

I used to be supported to go swimming by a charity that’s now called Enrych. They do hobbies in general.

Yes. I would recommend looking on social media. Look at as many initiatives and charities in your area as possible and approach the one/s you feel most strongly for.

Also I know my local job centre sets up volunteering where you accompany a person to achieve their day to day tasks (eg helping with shopping, going to the bank, visiting a cafe). You could enquire at yours?

Leonard Cheshire has a volunteer programme you could look into.

Really good ideas thank you!

Any other good charity names?

My daughter volunteered for Riding for the Disabled for a while before lockdown.

Try the Stroke Association - as they run a number of exercise sessions and quite a lot of participants need a 1-1 (you don't need to be a trained coach to do that)

Also your local cancer support centres.

And the leisure/Heath/wellbeing bit of your council - they link in to things like health walks (and may train leaders) and the Get Out Get Active programme.

SSAFA provide befriending services - and as their remit thise who did National Service, they have a large base of potential clients. Their caseworker roles are very wide-ranging

@Wotrewelookinat thank you - though if that’s horse riding I don’t think I’d be much help

Also HCPT is a charity which takes disabled children and disadvantaged children and adults to Lourdes every year on a pilgrimage at Easter my oldest son went one year ( as he has a disabled brother) it's a nationwide charity I believe.

@Ethelswith thanks those are good ideas, will google. I just find it hard to find the opportunities on a general volunteering website! The only one that kept coming up was for people integrating back into society after being sexual offenders/paedophiles - not one for me!

I don't think my first post ,posted ,I'm not involved in charities but I have a disabled child and there are several local charities that put on activities and subsidised days out for disabled children who I'm sure would be glad of help ,so you need to see what's on offer in your area .

Thanks - I’m in London so have used the London mayor website (team London or something?) and the do it volunteering website. But would be useful to be able to get a list of the charities in SW London...any idea how? Obviously will start just googling

Quite a lot of charities have had to curtail activities during the pandemic, especially those with extremely vulnerable clients. But there are pathways back to full er services for the autumn.

Are you on Twitter? Because if you start following some charities, and your local council (wellbeing bit) and local radio station; over time other local charities and initiatives get 'liked' by them and twitter itself will suggest similar organisations - and it's a good way to find out what's going on near you. Then you could cold call, go along to a fundraiser or other event, meet people and let them know you are available.

@Brokensunrise

Thanks - I’m in London so have used the London mayor website (team London or something?) and the do it volunteering website. But would be useful to be able to get a list of the charities in SW London...any idea how? Obviously will start just googling

It's often arranged by borough - are you happy to say which one/s you can reach?

@AuntieStella really good idea about twitter, I’ll do that

@SquirmOfEels Wandsworth. I don’t drive so somewhere either within the borough or easily accessible by public transport

Do you ski? Disability Snowsport?

This might help

wandsworthcarealliance.org.uk/coronavirus/wandsworth-organisations-that/

Have you an idea what age group you would like to help with and what kind of disabilities , personally I would go for local charities as they do so much for more for the community imo,I can't speak for adult charities ,but if you wanted to volunteer with disabled children for example have a look at " the local offer" on your LEA website they may well list local charities mine does .

@Windyone thank you but I’ve never skied so would be a very rubbish support there!

Maybe see if the Special Olympics organisation has a local branch? My Dd volunteered with them. Of course many of their activity sessions may not be running at the moment...

I know that's a list from pandemic times, but with the exception of the last section, they are permanent organisations

Also Enable Health and Wellbeing (for the borough council)

thrive.wandsworth.gov.uk/kb5/wandsworth/fsd/service.page?id=apDBLLrTqEU