Volunteer Weekly Exercise Club Helper

Would you like to support older people in your local community? 

Do you have a few hours to spare on a weekly basis?

MHA Communities - Winchester is a charity offering volunteer based support and friendship to older people living in their own homes; helping to maintain independent living, improve well-being and reduce isolation and loneliness. We aim to help older people maintain their independence by offering opportunities for companionship, support and advice. MHA Communities - Winchester is supported by volunteers who assist in variety of different ways.

What would I be doing as an Exercise Club Volunteer?

We require volunteers to help out at various exercise classes during the week. Volunteers are required to assist the Instructor with the smooth running of the club which involves setting up and clearing away chairs, tables and exercise equipment, welcoming and assisting members, serving refreshments, clearing away in the kitchen, taking a register and dealing with some administration.

The classes are taught by a qualified Instructor. The classes are specifically helpful for those who are recovering from a fall and are designed to help maintain and improve posture, strength, balance and stamina.

Skills

Skills and qualities needed for the role are:

• Patience, empathy and understanding of the needs of older people
• The ability to engage yourself and others in a wide range of activities
  
• You will be reliable and punctual
  
• Flexibility
  
• You will have a clear sense of personal boundaries
  
• Having the ability to provide a supportive and non-judgmental service
  
• You’ll be willing to join in with training and development
  
• You’ll be able to maintain confidentiality
  

What impact would I have?

By volunteering at one of our exercise classes you will be helping our members to attend one of our groups and increasing the amount of groups we can run - regular exercise has a variety of benefits: it strengthens muscles which can help reduce the risk of falls, and physical activity is proven to improve mental health and emotional wellbeing, increasing energy levels, and group classes support members to make new friends.

Why volunteer for MHA?

If you are passionate about caring for older people, MHA is the place for you. We are a national charity inspiring the best care at every stage of later life. It is our mission to enable people to live later life well and you could help us achieve this. We will provide you with ongoing training, support and advice throughout your volunteering experience.

There is an application and induction process which must be completed by all new applicants to enable you to become a volunteer with us. This will involve a number of stages including the following:

• Initially we will call you to discuss volunteering and talk about your availability, we will invite you to our office in Winchester for an informal meeting; this will give us a chance to discuss volunteering roles and you can ask any questions you might have.
• Providing details of two character references who you have known for at least 2 years
• Attending an online induction (either by Zoom or Teams)
• Completing a DBS application (including providing suitable ID in person at our office in Winchester)
• Completing a Volunteer Agreement
• Completing various online training courses depending on the volunteer role. Courses may include for example, Safeguarding, Fire Safety and Moving & Handling

Volunteers benefit from local support in your chosen volunteering role, annual reviews, ongoing training and out of pocket expenses.