Sense Virtual Buddy Volunteer

Sense Virtual Buddying volunteers make a real difference to supporting young people and adults who may be lonely or isolated.

Sense matches volunteers with disabled people to meet for an hour a week on Zoom or over the phone.

Our volunteers have spent thousands of hours with their buddies — learning new skills, having fun, and forming fantastic friendships.

Sense matches each volunteer with someone who has similar interests, to make sure you have a great time. You and your buddy choose a time that suits you, and you can decide what activities you’d like to do together.

Here’s what Bethany has to say about volunteering as a Virtual Buddy:

“I just know that on a Thursday I’m going to be laughing at the end of my day. It’s a really positive part of my week.”

The Role of the Volunteer / More Information:

Sense matches each volunteer with someone who has similar interests to ensure you’ll have lots of fun together. Once matched with a buddy, you will get to know each other remotely via video calls or phone calls.

You’ll arrange weekly sessions and plan fun things to do together – what this looks like will be inspired by your mutual interests. You could be gaming, doing arts and crafts, playing music, seed planting – there are so many possibilities!

We will provide you with weekly themed activities to help to support you in planning your interactions with your buddy.

We’ll also keep in touch with you to ensure you have all the support you need.

The programme is open to all volunteers who are 16 and over.

You don't need to have previous experience volunteering or caring for disabled people. We welcome people from all backgrounds and with all interests.

How we will Support You / What we can Offer You:

Before you start your volunteering role, we’ll make sure that you’ve had the training you need to feel confident. This will be delivered online and via video call.

While you’re volunteering with us as a Virtual Buddy, you’ll get:

• A written account of your volunteering and references if required

• Access to additional communication courses such as Deaf Awareness and British Sign Language

• Reimbursement of pre-agreed expenses

Volunteering as a Sense Virtual Buddy is a great opportunity to develop new skills and get to know new people whilst making a real difference to a person’s life.

What skills do I need?

We need positive, empathetic volunteers who are passionate about supporting people with complex disabilities to communicate and experience the world.

We are looking for volunteers who are great communicators and who are friendly, enthusiastic, positive and ready to have fun!

We’re also always looking for volunteers who have knowledge or experience of British Sign Language (BSL) and/or other communication methods like Makaton.