Volunteer Volunteer Roles Volunteer roles 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 welcome 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. Find out more about our volunteer befriender role. 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. Find out more about our volunteer Community Connectors. Virtual Carer Café Facilitators We host a virtual Carer Café for unpaid carers across Gateshead to meet other carers, have a laugh, share their experiences in caring, and take a short break from their caring roles. A Carer Café facilitator makes sure the session runs smoothly without any technical issues and to relay any information from GCA to and from the session participants. Find out more about our Virtual Carer Café Facilitators. ASK Carers ASK Carers is a group of volunteers who come together to discuss important issues affecting unpaid carers and help us shape and improve our wellbeing offer to the carers of Gateshead. Every meeting covers a different that carers find important. Find out more about our ASK Carers sessions by contacting us. You can download our volunteering leaflet here. 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, put your green thumb to use or learn new skills, gain a new hobby, and meet new people. I want to volunteer! Volunteering leaflet