Volunteer Tea Party Host

Tea parties provide a lifeline of friendship for our older people, and the regular, warm, friendly chats and companionship provide a vital link with the outside world from which they have become isolated. Re-engage needs enthusiastic volunteers to work as tea party hosts.

This is a flexible, voluntary role that can easily be fitted in around your own lifestyle and availability. As a volunteer host you will run a local Re-engage tea party one to two times a year.

You will host a group made up of volunteer drivers, the group co-ordinator and older guests in either your home or a community venue. The tea parties will last around two hours and will usually take place on a Sunday afternoon. You must be comfortable socialising with people and providing guests and other volunteers with refreshments.

The number of older guests attending your tea party will be confirmed by the group coordinator prior to the group meeting so you have plenty of time to plan. It is important for the older guests to have access to a downstairs toilet. They will also require seating; a combination of lounge chairs and hard back chairs is fine. Don’t worry if you don’t have chairs for all the drivers as they will be circulating and helping you if required, so you can enjoy the afternoon too. A lot of stairs can present problems, although just a few steps are usually manageable.

Skills
Organised.  Good conversational skills.  An enthusiasm for making genuine connections with older people in your community.  A friendly, patient, and empathetic approach.  Passion for entertaining, providing food and refreshments.  Basic understanding of food hygiene.  Basic computer literacy (including the ability to use email).

Tasks include:

• Welcoming a group of older guests and volunteer drivers into your home or to the community venue

• Providing and serving refreshments for your group – usually food and drinks for afternoon tea

• Liaising with your group coordinator to ensure dietary requirements and the older guests' needs are met prior to the tea party

• Informing the group co-ordinator of any safeguarding concerns or issues you might have

• Following all guidance in your host training modules to ensure that the tea parties are enjoyable, appropriate, and in line with our charitable aims

Time commitment:  Tea parties usually run for around 2 hours and are usually on a Sunday.
Expenses reimbursed: Expenses are not reimbursed.
Training provided: Full training is provided.
Selection procedure: Informal discussion, application form completion and 1 reference and an ID check.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact us using the form below.