"If you have a couple of hours a week to spare you could do something extraordinary with Lancashire County Council Volunteer Services. Ordinary people are currently doing the most extraordinary of things throughout Lancashire. What they do may not sound extraordinary but those who give of their own spare time to help others in their local community are making an extraordinary difference to the lives of vulnerable adults and their carers.

Volunteer Services essentially offer a befriending service for vulnerable adults, and we are always looking to recruit new volunteers who will help ensure our service is a quality one. Our volunteers support people with learning disabilities, mental health problems, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, older people and carers. Volunteers can give as little or as much of their time; befriending a vulnerable adult in their own home, supporting somebody to access the community (cinema, leisure activities etc.), supporting people to travel independently or even helping vulnerable people access volunteering with their local community themselves.  We have also recently begun a project working in partnership with Lancashire County Council Library and Information Service to use the skills and experiences of local people to support library activities.

It’s a great way to meet new people and try new things, and we organise regular socials for all of our volunteers! We do require our volunteers to undergo an enhanced CRB Disclosure, complete with 2 references and meet our person specification.  

Our volunteers come from all ages and walks of life and often get involved because they want to give something back and would like to help people in their local community.  It is also a really good opportunity to enhance your CV, and a lot of our younger volunteers get involved with this in mind.  Volunteering is a great opportunity to build up a lot of transferable skills and we offer a wide range of training opportunities to enhance this…..all of which are free!