Female volunteers wanted to join our
Befriending Service
Swan Women's Centre’s Befriending Service is here to help women over 18 years old in Sefton who have become lonely or isolated due to barriers caused by poor mental health and emotional wellbeing. Our volunteers will support women in Sefton who are unable to fully engage in their community and who would like to take steps towards socialising and accessing services independently.
We are looking for female volunteers who are:
caring * non-judgemental * respectful * good listening skills * reliable * positive communicators * able to maintain confidentiality * committed
Each woman using the service will have weekly contact with a volunteer who is committed to supporting them for 12 months; depending on each woman’s needs. By contact we mean:
Home visits to chat in a safe space
- Help with using public transport or going shopping
- Company during activities or hobbies
- Visiting Swan Women’s Centre to meet new people
- Meeting for a coffee
- Finding positive social activities (for example photography clubs or walking groups)
Sometimes women using our service can struggle to attend appointments and meetings. This can hugely affect their emotional, physical and financial wellbeing. Our befrienders can accompany a woman to support appointments such as:
- Medical appointments
- Appointments regarding welfare benefits
- Engaging in other services such as Citizen’s Advice Bureau or attending a food bank
- Meetings regarding housing or employment
The service can also support women to attend activities at the centre such as holistic therapies and creative activities.
We offer support and continuous training to all volunteers to prepare them for their role and enable them to develop new skills.
NOTE: OUR SERVICE VISIT TIMES TAKE PLACE WITHIN 10am to 7pm Monday to Friday.
If this sounds like the right fit for you, then please complete our online application form Here
| Skills & Knowledge Required | Essential | Desirable |
| Empathetic and caring | E | |
| Excellent communication skills | E | |
| Ability to commit 12 months to your role | E | |
| Good time management and attendance | E | |
| Understanding of the needs of women facing challenges with their mental health/emotional wellbeing | D | |
| Ability to work under direction and be able to make decisions | E | |
| Willing to attend training, supervision, volunteer meetings as requested | E | |
| A positive and calm disposition | E | |
| A positive and calm disposition | E | |
| Basic I.T skills (Word, email) | E | |
| Access to a mobile phone | D |
For further details contact Rebecca on 0151 933 3292 or email at [email protected]
We have been awarded the Excellence in Befriending award for the quality of service we provide, for both our befriending volunteers and our befriending clients.