FAQs about support for volunteers
Who do I contact
Your first port of call is to check the frequently asked questions (FAQ) section of our website. If you can't find the answer you are looking for and are a tea party, activity group, flicks and friends or lunch club volunteer please speak to your group coordinator.
If you’re a group coordinator or a call companion and can’t find the answer to your question on our FAQ section of the website, please email the Re-engage team at knowledge@reengage.org.uk.
If you’re a tea party, activity group, flicks and friends or lunch club volunteer please contact your group coordinator and try to give them as much notice as possible so that they’ll have time to make alternative arrangements.
If you’re a group coordinator or a call companion, please email the Re-engage team at knowledge@reengage.org.uk.
Training and support for volunteers
You play a vital role in helping us to deliver our mission and achieve our goals. We value your contributions and aim to empower you by ensuring you’re trained and well informed so you can fulfil your role effectively and confidently. We’ve a range of training resources, information, and guidelines available on our website that you can access anytime and on any device.
Re-engage is a charity that supports some of the most vulnerable people in society and who may be subject to abuse and neglect. We believe that our people - staff and volunteers - have an individual and organisational responsibility for safeguarding the older people we work with, as well as each other as volunteers and members of staff. Our introduction to safeguarding training has been developed to raise awareness of safeguarding within our charity and to help volunteers recognise safeguarding concerns and report them to the appropriate person.
As a volunteer, from time to time you may handle other people’s data. For example, when you’re filling in forms or jotting down someone’s contact details, such as their address or name. It’s important that, as a team, we all keep data protection in mind so that everyone involved with Re-engage has the protection they deserve and are entitled to.
The GDPR training is available for volunteers to help ensure Re-engage operates safely, complies to regulations, and is a trusted organisation for the people who support us and use our services.
We don't provide qualifications for Re-engage volunteers. However, many external courses allow you to use your volunteering hours towards your qualification.
In Scotland, your volunteering hours can go towards the Saltire Awards (this is for young people up to the age of 25).
We're really sorry to hear that. We understand that at times calls with older people can be very emotional.
For more information on support and difficult conversations please check out the section in our volunteer handbook on addressing difficulties.
If you need further support, please contact the Re-engage team at knowledge@reengage.org.uk.
I want to make changes to or stop my role
We completely understand that circumstances can change. If you need to stop volunteering with us for any reason are a tea party, activity group, flicks and friends or lunch club volunteer please speak to your group coordinator.
If you’re a group coordinator or a call companion, please email the Re-engage team at knowledge@reengage.org.uk.
Re-engage can provide you with a generic reference which confirms that you volunteer with us, the name of your voluntary role and the date you started volunteering. We’ll usually only do this for volunteers who’ve been with us for 6 months or longer. If you’d like a reference, please email the Re-engage team at knowledge@reengage.org.uk.
Volunteer information
We’re able to pay volunteer expenses to group coordinators of tea party groups. This is to help cover the costs of running and administering a Re-engage tea party group, for example recruiting older guests and new volunteers, postage, and phone calls.
Please remember we don’t pay travel expenses for group coordinators to attend the tea parties.
Please check the Department for Work and Pensions website for further information.