Volunteer
Volunteering provides many benefits to both mental and physical health. If you’ve got the gift of time and want to make a difference in your community, then join us at Thame Senior Friendship Centre.
Our service is dependent on the commitment of our excellent team of volunteer drivers and helpers.
Whether you have just a few hours or the whole day to spare, please consider helping out and call the Manager on 01844 212080 for an informal chat.
How you can help
Help at the Centre
We need helpers to support the staff and other volunteers with serving drinks and lunch, organising activities and entertainment and providing a friendly, sociable atmosphere with time to listen and chat!
Be a volunteer driver
We need volunteer drivers who can use their own cars for an hour in the morning and/or afternoons to pick up our members and take them home afterwards. A clean driving licence and an empathetic and friendly manner is all that is needed, and mileage expenses are paid.
Share your skills or expertise
If you are an entertainer, speaker, singer or even magician, we can always accommodate your skills in our centre. Expenses or your standard charges can be paid if they are within our budget.
Volunteers with other skills e.g. Manicurist, Hairdresser, Chiropodist or Craftworker would be most welcome to enhance our members’ day out.
*A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check, formerly a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check, will be carried out for all our volunteers.
Apply to become a volunteer
The quickest way to apply to join our volunteer team is to download the digital application form (this pdf download will open in a new window). Once you’ve completed the application form, you will need to email it to us at info@thameseniorfriendshipcentre.com.
You also can download the application form, print it and complete it by hand. If you do this, you will need to send your completed form to us at: Thame Senior Friendship Centre, Thame Town Cricket Club, Church Meadow, Church Road, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 3AJ.
If you have a question or need help completing the application form, you can call us on 01844 212080 between 8:30am and 3:15pm on Monday, Tuesday or Friday.
Privacy notices can be found on our Privacy page. We recommend you review the privacy policy before completing the application form.
What our volunteers say
“Being a volunteer driver is great fun. And when Day Centre members say: ‘I don’t know what we would do without you people,’ I can say, in complete honesty: ‘That feeling is mutual.’”
“Before the members arrive we wrap the cutlery in a serviette and put out the plates, dishes, jugs and glasses; then a word square is written out from the daily paper. The rivalry to see whether the volunteers or the members get the big word first is friendly but keen! As they arrive we welcome each member in with a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate and, of course, a smile and a cheery greeting.”
“During the day the volunteers may be asked to play Scrabble, Dominoes and various board games or just to read the newspaper to someone. We are always happy to sit down with them for a longer chat, which is a real treat for those who spend so much time on their own. There is a varied programme of activities in the afternoon so we are on hand to help where we are needed.”
“Our main concern is to make the day enjoyable for everyone and we are willing to do what we can to reach that goal. Our reward is in the words of appreciation we receive from those who come.”