How it works
Call companions make regular telephone calls to lonely and isolated older people providing a lifeline of friendship. The regular chat and companionship offers a vital link with the outside world.
Over time, call companions and the older person they are paired with will get to know each other well and will spend many hours of fun and laughter, sharing stories as well as offering vital support over the phone.
Update: Applications are now closed for the call companion, call companion coordinator and volunteer interviewer roles - thanks to the high volume of applications we have received. Please do apply for another volunteer position on our website if there is one that appeals. We'd be delighted to have you on board.
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Become a call companion
Call companions are volunteers, over the age of 18, who make regular telephone calls to older people. These calls provide friendship, joy and conversation.
Become a call companion coordinator
Our call companion coordinators are volunteers, over the age of 18, who oversee a small group of our call companions and the older people they speak to on a regular basis.
Become a volunteer interviewer
Are you organised, positive and dedicated to supporting older people who are lonely? Re-engage is looking for volunteers to interview new volunteer call companion applicants.
Become a Daring to Dream volunteer (Wales)
Our new groups will bring together people over 75 in local communities across Wales from February 2021 through activity-based groups to help reduce loneliness, social isolation and improve physical wellbeing.
What’s involved in being a call companion?
You will be someone with excellent communication skills:
- who enjoys good conversation
- is comfortable making telephones calls and making connections remotely
- can commit to making two to four calls a month
- has a friendly, empathetic approach
- is a good listener
- is patient
- has a good sense of humour
What’s it like to volunteer?
We all have different reasons for getting involved but a lot of our volunteers have or have had older people in their lives who have brought them joy or who have experienced loneliness. Other volunteers are feeling the twinge of loneliness themselves as they settle into a new area, a new job, a new set of circumstances.
Whatever your reason, we are here to make sure that all our volunteers are fully equipped to support the older people they call.
Our call companion role is flexible and created to fit around busy lifestyles. A volunteer call companion will call the same older person between two and four times a month at a mutually agreed time for an informal chat. Calls will last for around 30 minutes.
Our volunteer opportunities are open to everyone over the age of 18, the beauty of our community lies in the diverse make up of our groups - from young to older adults (and young retirees).
Coronavirus update
In normal times, we run over 900 social groups and other activites for isolated older people with over 12,000 volunteers running and supporting those groups. We'll let you know when we will start those activities up again - as soon as it is safe to do so.
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Contact us
We have teams across the UK and our national office is in London.
Address
Re-engage
2 Grosvenor Gardens
London
SW1W 0DH