Volunteers who take part often report increased wellbeing, and enhanced skills, while having the opportunity to “give back”.  People who receive support from the service also enhance their wellbeing, feel safer, more supported, and more able to live an independent life.

By becoming a Good Neighbour, volunteers:

• Gain fulfilment: volunteering provides a sense of purpose, and satisfaction from helping others
• Develop social connections: meeting new people, building friendships, strengthening community ties.
• Develop skills: by taking part in volunteering, people often develop new skills and interests, confidence and self-esteem
• Enhance health and wellbeing: volunteering is often linked with improved mental health, reduced stress, and even better physical health through keeping active
• Career growth: networking and gaining new experiences can boost career opportunities, helping to develop your CV
• Have fun! Volunteering can be a hugely enjoyable and rewarding experience

Volunteers can choose from a wide range of available tasks or activities.

Some examples include:

• Helping someone with grocery shopping
• Collecting and delivering medical prescriptions,
• Driving a person to their GP/hospital appointment
• Accompanying someone to a social activity or appointment,
• Helping with odd jobs around the house,
• Light gardening
• Checking in with someone for a cuppa and chat, and lots more!

The volunteering role is fully flexible meaning that volunteers can pick and choose which tasks they are interested in completing, and when.

Steps to get you up and running as a Good Neighbour Volunteer

1. First, you’ll fill in a volunteering application form – this will take you approximately 10 – 15 minutes to complete. We’ll ask that you provide the name and email address for 2 people who could provide a character reference for you. Your referee will receive an email from us automatically, to complete a character reference, as soon as you submit your application.
2. After you have submitted the form, we will guide you through the process of completing the application.
3. We will invite you to complete induction training for you to learn more about the role and for us to prepare you to feel confident in it.
4. At the end of your training, we’ll ask you to to sign a few volunteer related forms and agreements.
5. Once you’ve completed all the above steps, you’re ready to start volunteering!

We allow volunteers to pace their own on-boarding, so some might only take a few days, whereas for others you might like to take a little longer. We’re here to help if you have any questions along the way.

Yes. The project is funded by Newcastle City Council. There is no charge to receive support.

No. Support is usually short term or one off. The focus is on small acts of help that make a big difference.

Yes. All volunteers complete an Enhanced DBS check before supporting anyone.

Yes. Family members, friends and professionals can all complete a referral form.

Yes. We reimburse agreed travel and out of pocket expenses.

The project supports people who live in Newcastle. If you live in or near to Newcastle, you are welcome to get involved, otherwise we may be able to signpost you to other volunteer opportunities.

You do not necessarily need any specific qualifications or previous experience to become a Good Neighbour volunteer. If you are friendly, comfortable chatting with people from different backgrounds, and keen to give something back to your community, you will fit right in. Our volunteer role description outlines the key qualities and characteristics we are looking for, and you can find more details in the role description.

Volunteering with Good Neighbours is a valuable opportunity for you to build confidence and develop both new and existing skills. You can find full details about what you will gain and what is involved in the available volunteer role description.

No. Good Neighbour volunteers don’t have a probationary period.

Yes. There are lots of meaningful ways you can support Good Neighbours, even if you cannot commit to regular volunteering.

You could help by spreading the word on social media, talking to friends, family or colleagues about our project, or sharing our volunteering opportunities with someone who might be interested.

You can also help by starting conversations about social isolation. Simply raising awareness, checking in on someone you know, or encouraging open discussion about loneliness in your community can make a real difference. Sometimes recognising the issue and talking about it is the first step towards change.