Volunteer driver training
Training 2: preparing for the tea party
In the days leading up to each tea party, there are a few tasks that volunteer drivers and reserve drivers need to carry out to make sure that everything can go ahead smoothly. Please note that some tea party groups may do things slightly differently, so it is always worth checking with your group coordinator.
As a general rule, your group coordinator will get in touch with you a few weeks before the tea party to check that you’re still able to volunteer. Please try to get back to them as soon as you possibly can so that they have enough time to find a reserve driver if necessary. Once you’ve confirmed that you’re available, your group coordinator will then let you know which older guest(s) you will be driving to the upcoming tea party.
If you have registered as a reserve driver you might be asked to help at short notice. Sometimes this could be just one or two days before the event. You will be contacted either by a group coordinator or an area organiser. Please let who ever has contacted you know if you are able to drive, so they can confirm with the guests who will be picking them up. As explained in the previous guide there is no problem if you are not available. The role of reserve driver is to help when you can.
Good to know
In some tea party groups, the volunteer drivers always collect the same older guests every month. If a regular driver is unavailable, a reserve driver will take their place. In other groups, the volunteer drivers rotate between older guests. Your group coordinator will be able to let you know how things work in your group when you join.
Working out your route and timings
Your group coordinator will give you the phone number and home address of the older guest(s) you will be driving, along with the address of where the tea party will be taking place. You should also be able to find this address on the annual hosting schedule for your group. If you are a reserve driver, you will be sent the details of the guest(s) you are going to pick up for that event. Your next step will be to work out roughly how long it will take you to collect your older guest(s) and then drive them to the tea party venue. If you’re not familiar with the route, you can use online services such as Google maps or the AA route planner to plan your journey and get an estimate of how long it will take. Please bear in mind that you should allow at least ten minutes per older guest for pick-up, as it may take them a little while to walk from their front door to your car.
Calling the older guest(s) you will be driving
Once you’ve worked out the timings, your next step will be to call the older guest(s) you’re due to be collecting to check if they’re still happy and able to attend. You would generally do this around three or four days before the tea party, but this can vary from group to group so please check with your group coordinator or other contact if you are a reserve driver. If an older guest confirms that they would still like to attend the tea party, let them know when you’ll be picking them up and ask if they can try to be ready to leave at that time. You can also use this phone call as an opportunity to ask if the older guest has any questions or worries about the tea party or if there is anything they need you to be aware of on the day, for example, any parking restrictions. After you’ve finished speaking to your older guest(s), please get in touch with your group coordinator (or other contact) to let them know who will be attending so that they will be able to give the host a rough idea of numbers.
Good to know
Your group coordinator should have access to the emergency contact details for every older guest in your group, although unfortunately not every older guest will have an emergency contact person. If you’ve tried calling an older guest on three occasions and still haven’t been able to get through, please let your group coordinator know so that they can try and contact the older guest and/or get in touch with their emergency contact person, if available.
“My group meets once a month and I always really look forward to it.”
Now that you’ve done all the preparation, you’re ready to volunteer at the upcoming tea party. Your next training will take you through what you can expect to happen on the day itself.