North Cotswolds and Cirencester charity, Cotswold Friends, urgently needs more volunteers to help older and vulnerable people in the local area to live independently by providing help with community activities, carer support, volunteer driving, befriending, and marketing.

The charity is launching a ‘100 Volunteers’ campaign to increase volunteer numbers and is asking people ‘are you free in 2023?’ and ‘could you help – or do you know someone who could?’

Cotswold Friends runs a number of voluntary services to improve health and wellbeing and support independent living in the North Cotswolds. The charity’s transport service also operates in Cirencester.

The charity needs support volunteers for all 10 of the monthly Lunch Clubs that it runs, in Aldsworth, Andoversford, Bourton, Broad Campden, Kineton, Longborough, Mickleton, Moreton (two lunch clubs), and Willsersey. Cotswold Friends needs a support volunteer for each club to help to run them for 3 - 4 hours, once a month. The role would include welcoming guests, keeping lists of attendances, helping clients socialise, etc. Could you help?

Cotswold Friends also have other Community Activity volunteer support opportunities available including office support, Knit and Natter, support for their new Pop Up Charity Shop coming soon and for their new Connecting Community IT project. Do any of these interest you?

If you know someone that could provide regular breaks for carers by befriending the people they care for, they could volunteer with the charity’s Carer Support Service, which has individuals waiting for help in the Mickleton, Chipping Campden, Blockley and Northleach areas.

Community Transport volunteer drivers to help older and vulnerable people, or those without access to transport, are also urgently needed, particularly in the Chipping Campden, Moreton, Bourton and Cirencester areas.

Volunteer Befrienders, to pay weekly visits to people who are stuck at home, are also needed in the local area by individuals that would love company and conversation. Cotswold Friends currently need volunteers for waiting clients in Stow, Bourton, Chipping Campden and Moreton.

The charity also needs volunteers to support their marketing with newsletter and leaflet distribution, volunteer recruitment and events. Cotswold Friends CEO, Jo Hammond, said: “This is an exciting time to join us as a volunteer as we launch new projects and expand our services, all with the aim of making life happier, easier and less lonely for older and vulnerable people.

“Volunteering can be so fulfilling, knowing the difference your small actions have made to someone else’s life. It can also provide you with new skills and experiences, and get you out and about in your community, meeting new people and making new friends.

“We urgently need volunteers across many of our different services, so if you have a gap in your diary in 2023, please consider giving just some of your time to help us.”

To see a full list of all the charity’s current volunteering opportunities, see Cotswold Friends’ NEW Volunteers Needed! monthly bulletin on their website at www.cotswoldfriends.org.

For more information, contact Louise Lapworth, Marketing Manager, email [email protected].

If you or someone you know could help with just one of these volunteering opportunities, please get in touch with Cotswold Friends on 01608 697007 or email [email protected].