Pen Pal Volunteer

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To help combat loneliness and isolation for unpaid Carers. Each PenPal Volunteer is provided with a stationery pack (including pen, writing paper and freepost envelopes). Upon completion of training, your involvement will cost you nothing but your time. The Volunteer Hub administer the freepost re-direction, so that the addresses for both you and the carer are kept confidential and un-shared. You are free to write about whatever you feel is appropriate (weather, TV, events, poetry, books, sport etc.) and your communications will remain private (unless a safeguarding concern is raised).

Key information

  • Duration: Ongoing
  • Start Date: 13th February 2026
  • End Date: 12th March 2030
  • Volunteer: Fortnightly, Monthly
  • Availability: Monday AM, Monday PM, Monday Evening, Tuesday AM, Tuesday PM, Tuesday Evening, Wednesday AM, Wednesday PM, Wednesday Evening, Thursday AM, Thursday PM, Thursday Evening, Friday AM, Friday PM, Friday Evening, Saturday AM, Saturday PM, Saturday Evening, Sunday AM, Sunday PM, Sunday Evening
  • Tasks: Some carers prefer the written word to emails, texts, and video-calls. We match volunteers to a carer who would then exchange hand-written letters with you once a month or more, using good old-fashioned pen, paper, and The Post Office! This service can provide support at a time of loneliness, or it could simply provide a much-needed wellbeing boost (to both carer and volunteer!)
  • Training: To become a pen pal volunteer, we will first need to complete a DBS check (Disclosure & Barring Service) and your volunteer hub induction, we will arrange to meet you in a local setting near to you and there is no cost to volunteers for a DBS. This takes around 1.5 hours, and we will outline the volunteer journey and how everything works. You will need to compete 2 sessions of training on Zoom with on our team, they are –

    • Safeguarding Training - During this session we will look at how we protect vulnerable people that we may be supporting. This takes around 1.5 hours
    • PenPal Training – During this session we will look at how the Pen Pal process works and ideas for letter content. This takes around 1 hour

    There is also an online training course to complete, which will take around 1 hours.
    We also have some forms to complete, which will include providing 2 satisfactory references
  • Skill And Qualifications Required: Happy to write a short to medium length letter each month.
    You can write or type your letters.
  • Interests: Community, Health and wellbeing, Mental Health, Older people, Social Welfare
  • Suitability: 16-17 year olds, Employee Volunteers, From your office, Groups, Indoor, Older people, People seeking work, People with restricted mobility, University students, 18 and over
  • Activities: Administration, Befriending, Mentoring, Support Work, Virtual Volunteering
  • Skills: Creativity, Listening, Organising, Reading and writing
  • Home Based: Yes
  • DBS Check: Yes
  • Accessibility: Clearly marked accessible parking spaces, Step free access clearly signposted into the building, Automatic opening doors, Lift to other floors / step free access throughout the building, Accessible toilets
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