VOLUNTEER CORNER

Have you experienced mental health difficulties? Would you like to support other people through difficult times?

If you’ve answered yes, then a role at Wokingham Your Way could be the role for you!

Wokingham Your Way is part of the mental health charity, Together for Mental Wellbeing and provides a flexible community based mental health support service. They are looking to recruit volunteers as Peer Supporters. This could involve one-to-one support sessions, facilitating social meet ups, helping with interviewing, co-facilitating peer support groups etc.

Volunteers must have personal experience of mental health and be willing to share their experiences and help support others.

Their next training dates are Fridays November 3, 10, 17 and 24 from 10am-3.30pm in Reading.

The South Central Ambulance Charity run the Wokingham Community First Responders: a group of volunteers who are trained by to preserve life and promote recovery in an emergency situation, by getting to the patient before the ambulance arrives.

Community First Responders (CFRs) use lifesaving skills, such as the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), to provide early and often vital intervention for patients suffering life threatening emergencies in the immediate vicinity of where they live or work.

Once an ambulance crew arrives at the scene, CFRs work alongside a clinically qualified practitioner. Volunteers do not need previous first aid experience as full training is provided.

Volunteers must a driving licence and access to a car and be willing to commit to 20 hours per month.

Sue Ryder provides hospice and neurological care for people facing a frightening, life-changing diagnosis. At the Wokingham Day Hospice, they provide specialist palliative care services to patients at home.

The Day Hospice volunteers play an important role in arranging activities, refreshments and general wellbeing of patients.

They run different groups every weekday, mornings and afternoons and are looking for volunteers to help with any of these sessions.

They also need help from volunteer drivers on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to transport patients to and from the day hospice.