Choose to Chat - organisations

CONTACT THE ELDERLY
Contact the Elderly organises monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups of older people aged 75 and over, who live alone, offering a regular and vital friendship link every month.

VOLUNTEER? Yes. Volunteer at one of hundreds of many group across Scotland.

THE FOOD TRAIN
Food Train provides a range of services for older people in Scotland including grocery shopping home deliveries, household support services and befriending

VOLUNTEER? Anyone over the age of 16 can volunteer, subject to a Disclosure Scotland check. The great thing about Food Train is that because of the diverse roles we offer, volunteering with us can be flexible.

HEAR TO HELP
https://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/
Action on Hearing Loss is the largest UK charity helping people confronting deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss to live the life they choose.
Action on Hearing Loss enables them to take control of their lives and remove the barriers in their way, giving people support and care, developing technology and treatments, and campaigning for equality.

VOLUNTEER? Yes. Ayrshire and Arran, Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Tayside

MEN’S SHARE PROJECT
The Men’s SHARE (Suicide, Harm, Awareness, Recovery and Empathy) project, delivered by Health in Mind (HiM) in partnership with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB), has been informed by consultation with men living in Midlothian. These men highlighted the on-going challenge that they often face from peers, colleagues or family members in seeking help in what often is seen as a macho culture.

VOLUNTEER? Service users go on to become volunteers.

VISIBILITY
We provide emotional support and information. We work with everyone from people with significant sight loss to the partially sighted, those whose signt cannot be improved. We also offer patient support in hospital, a hotline and support in home, peer support groups and training for developing skills for people with sight loss.

VOLUNTEER: To find out more, email

BEFRIENDING NETWORKS
Befriending Networks offers supportive, reliable relationships through volunteer befrienders to people who would otherwise be socially isolated. A search facility is available via their website.

For more information go to the website

OUTSIDE THE BOX
Outside the Box provides independent development support to groups and people across Scotland who want to make a difference in their communities. We work on a broad range of projects - under the four key themes below - offering support, information, training, evaluation and advice.

VOLUNTEER: For more info please email[email protected]

THE SILVER LINE
The Silver Line Helpline provides three functions to support older people: a sign-posting service to link them into the many, varied services that exist around the country; a befriending service to combat loneliness; a means of empowering those who may be suffering abuse and neglect, if appropriate to transfer them to specialist services to protect them from harm

VOLUNTEER? To find out more, email: [email protected]

CASTLE BEFRIENDING SERVICE
Castle Befriending Scheme matches volunteer befrienders on a one to one basis with elders in the community that have become socially isolated because of illness, disability or some difficulty or change of circumstance. Befrienders visit regularly and may undertake activities such as a home visit, a trip out to local place of interest or to access local community facilities, or share hobbies and interests. Befrienders carry out a purely social role and do not undertake any personal care.

VOLUNTEER? To find out more, contact: 01334 654445

HOME START MAJIK
Home-Start MAJIK is a local independent charity which has been set up to give friendship, advice emotional and practical support to families who have at least one child under the age of 8. Home-Start believes that children need a happy and secure childhood and that parents play a key role in helping their children to achieve their full potential. We are working towards a day when all families in the Mid-Argyll, Jura, Islay, Kintyre, Cowal and Bute area

VOLUNTEER? To find out more, email:

Dee (Scheme Manager)

Sharon (Cowl & Bute)

Kelly Coats (Kintyre, Mid Argyll & Islay)

FAITH IN COMMUNITY

Our particular contribution is to encourage and support faith communities to work with each other and with other partners in bringing this about.

We encourage and support those struggling against poverty to challenge injustice and develop their own approaches and solutions.

VOLUNTEER? To express interest just email

GLASGOW DISABILITY ALLIANCE
Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA) is a membership organisation run by and for disabled people. From aromatherapy to i-pads, from fishing to First Aid - our taster days and longer courses offer something for everyone. Whatever your age or interests - have a go, try something new! We provide transport and personal assistance for those who need it, to remove barriers so you can tap into the talents, goals and passions you never knew you had!

VOLUNTEER? To express interest just email

GOOD MORNING SERVICE
http://www.goodmorningservice.co.uk/
he charity provides telephone befriending and alert calls to older people. Every morning, 365 days a year, Telephone Befrienders call out to members at a pre-arranged time to check that all is well and for a good blether

VOLUNTEER? To express interest just email

VOLUNTARY ACTION FUND
http://www.voluntaryactionfund.org.uk/
We are a long-established, independent grant-making organisation which invests in the third sector to tackle disadvantage, reduce inequality and build resilient communities.
VAF supports a range of organisations from small community groups to social enterprises and large national charities. Our distinctive funding model is based on three core elements – Investing money, developing capacity and building relationships.

VOLUNTEER? To find out more email

CAMPAIGN TO END LONELINESS
https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/
The Campaign to End Loneliness inspires thousands of organisations and people to do more to tackle the health threat of loneliness in older age. The Campaign to End Loneliness is a network of national, regional and local organisations and people working together through community action, good practice, research and policy to ensure that loneliness is acted upon as a public health priority at national and local levels.

VOLUNTEER? To find out more, call 020 7012 1409

MEN’S SHED
http://scottishmsa.org.uk/
The Scottish Men’s Shed Association was launched in November 2015 with the aim of helping new and existing groups to set up and run a Men’s Shed in their local town or community. We are here to give a helping hand to anyone looking for assistance or more information on what it means to develop and run a Men’s Shed.

VOLUNTEER? To find out more, contact: 07397 382533

BEE BUSY FOR A FRIEND
http://www.my-east-ayrshire.co.uk/kb5/eastayrshire/cd/service.page?id=h7wAvJNSRu4
Bee Busy Be Friend is a service set up and run by the Volunteer Centre East Ayrshire which recruits, trains and supports volunteers to vist older people in the Community who are experiencing a degree of isolation.
Befriending can help combat feelings of loneliness by giving a a sense of purpose back to the older people who can become disconnected from society due to many reasons including ill health and bereavement.

VOLUNTEER? To find out more, contact: 0788 003 5471

ENABLE
http://www.enable.org.uk/Pages/Enable_Home.aspx
We are a charitable organisation founded in 1954 by the parents of children who had learning disabilities in order to ensure that people who have learning disabilities have the same choices and opportunities in life as everyone else. We campaign to fight discrimination and inequality and ensure that people who have learning disabilities are regarded as equal members of society

VOLUNTEER? No positions available presently.

CARR COMM SOCIAL CARE
http://www.carrgomm.org/
Carr Gomm is a person-centred organisation that supports people to lead their lives safely and to do the things they want to do: in day-to-day living, in planning for the future and in realising dreams. We do this by providing support at home and community development services which are delivered by highly trained and committed workers.

VOLUNTEER? Please get in touch either by calling us on 0300 666 3030

WELLBEING INDEPENDENT AGE
https://www.independentage.org/about-us/where-we-work/scotland
Whatever happens as we get older, we all want to remain independent and live life on our own terms. That’s why, as well as offering regular friendly contact and a strong campaigning voice, Independent Age can provide you and your family with clear, free and impartial advice on the issues that matter: care and support, money and benefits, health and mobility.
A charity founded over 150 years ago, we’re independent so you can be.

VOLUNTEER?Apply to be a volunteer