Volunteers play an essential part in making Gateshead Carers a successfully run charity by giving their time, talents, energy, and enthusiasm. Volunteering your time can also help with personal development and developing your talents. We are keen to recruit volunteers to help Gateshead Carers identify and help our work to support carers. You can help in a variety of ways:

Befrienders

We offer short break opportunities for the unpaid carers and the person they care for thanks to our brilliant team of volunteer befrienders. We want to help them live their own lives and enjoy themselves. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, our befriending service is currently available through telephone befrienders. The telephone befriending service helps give both carers and the person they care for a break from their usual routine and to have a weekly telephone chat with one of our friendly Telephone Befrienders. 

To find out more about our volunteer befriender role, click here.  

Community Connectors

Our local communities are packed full of things going on and we want to share these with our carers. Maybe there's an autism-friendly special screening of a movie in a nearby cinema, a shop with carers discount, or perhaps a specific social group you know about; we want to know! Our Community Connectors not only provide us with loads of useful information but also help raise awareness about what Gateshead Carers do in their communities so that we can reach as many unpaid carers as possible.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we're now looking for Community Connectors who would like to facilitate one of our online Carer Cafés and provide groups of carers across Gateshead with useful information in an accessible and friendly format.

To find out more about our volunteer community connectors, click here.

Carers Knowledge Panel

The Carers Knowledge Panel is where a group of volunteer carers come together to discuss important issues affecting carers and help us shape and improve our wellbeing offer to the carers of Gateshead. Every panel meeting covers something different such as our newsletter, and wellbeing sessions.

To find out more about our volunteer carers knowledge panel, click here.

You can download our volunteering leaflet here.

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Volunteering in other ways

Helping with events

Throughout the year Gateshead Carers holds events including Carers Week activities as well as attending information and community fun days. If you would like to volunteer to support us at any of these events, you can apply to volunteer here.

Office Admin

We have admin roles available if you prefer a more office based role. This involves helping on reception, answering phone calls, taking messages, and welcoming visitors.

Join our Board of Trustees

New board members are nominated and recruited for their skills and expertise, take a look at our members to see what they each bring to the charity. If you think you would like to join our board of trustees please contact us to apply. 

Allotment & Gardening

We have an allotment in Bensham where carers and volunteers can come along to plant and tend to vegetables and flowers. You don’t need to be an expert in gardening just enjoy the outdoors, putting your green thumb to use or learn new skills, gain a new hobby, and meet new people.

Groups & Activities

We have a number of Carer Cafes held in community centres in Gateshead where carers can meet up in their local community to chat, meet other carers, share information and experiences, and get information about how we can help. This includes different groups of carers in the community such as men’s and women’s groups, Muslim groups, etc. If you enjoy being out in the community and part of groups, chatting, and meeting new people, and would like to support unpaid carers to get essential information and support please contact us for more information.

I want to volunteer!

Volunteering leaflet