Lunch club coordinator role specific training
Training 3: welcoming new people into the lunch club (6-minute read)
During your time as a lunch club coordinator, it’s likely that there will be new volunteers and older people joining the lunch club. This module will take you through everything you need to consider when supporting new older people and new volunteers joining the lunch club.
The team at Re-engage will let you know when an older person has applied or been referred to the lunch club. Because lunch clubs are so popular older people quite often attend each week, if for any reason an older person is unable to attend the lunch club, they’ll either contact Re-engage or one of the lunch club coordinators to let them know.
Welcoming new lunch club volunteers
When someone applies to volunteer in the lunch club, the team at Re-engage will contact the lunch club coordinators to ask if anyone has a space for a new lunch club volunteer.
If there is a space, the team at Re-engage will conduct a telephone interview and relevant checks with the new volunteer. Our vetting process for lunch club volunteers consists of one reference and an ID check. Once they have completed all their checks, the team at Re-engage will send the lunch club coordinators their details.
Your next step will be to agree with the other lunch coordinators who is going to contact the new lunch club volunteer introduce themselves, to ask them which lunch clubs they are available to attend and to talk them through what to expect at their first lunch club.
It’s important that all new volunteers are contacted before their first lunch club so that they feel prepared. Volunteering in a lunch club with a room full of people you’ve never met before can be quite nerve-wracking and your support will go a long way to ensuring that your new lunch club volunteer has a positive first volunteering experience.
Good to know
New lunch club volunteers can only start volunteering once their reference and ID checks are complete. They must not volunteer before this point. The team at Re-engage will let you know as soon as a new lunch club volunteer is ready to start volunteering.
Welcoming new minibus drivers
When someone applies to volunteer as a minibus driver for lunch clubs the team at Re-engage will contact the lunch club coordinators to ask if there is a space for a new minibus driver. If there is a space, the team at Re-engage will conduct a telephone interview and relevant checks.
Minibus drivers also need:
- Previous experience of driving a similar vehicle.
- To be aged 25 years or over, and under 70.
- To hold a valid D1 classification on their driving licence.
- A MIDAS and manual handling training course prior to driving or operating the tail lift.
- To run safety checks and complete records at the beginning of each journey.
Once they’ve completed all their checks, the team at Re-engage will send the minibus driver’s details to the lunch club coordinators. Your next step will be to agree with the other lunch coordinators who is going to contact the new lunch club minibus driver to introduce themselves, to ask them which lunch clubs they are available to drive for and to talk them through what to expect at their first lunch club.
Just like with lunch club volunteers, it’s important that all new minibus drivers are contacted before their first lunch club so that they feel prepared for the lunch club.