#2016hours: Find out where in Yorkshire your volunteering help is needed most

Here are just a few of the many Royal Voluntary Service services that desperately need help across Yorkshire.

South Yorkshire

Barnsley (central and north) Looking Out for Older People - The project aims to address and combat loneliness and isolation by finding out what the older person wants. Help is needed to put together a package of support to address this, by offering help and advice, signposting around sources of help that is available, and engaging the older person in activities in the community.

Sheffield Good Neighbours - Befrienders are required to provide weekly visits to older people to help with daily tasks such as getting some shopping, a lift to the doctors or just having a cup of tea and a chat.

Intergenerational Five Ways to Wellbeing - This project links together people 50+ with younger people that may be at risk of social isolation. They might have become lonely after moving home, studying, becoming a new parent or just losing touch with friends. The project uses the five ways to wellbeing as a way to reduce social isolation and promote wellbeing - Be active, Keep learning, Give, Connect, and Take Notice.

Intergenerational Skills Swap - Everyone has practical skills they could share. It could be cooking, baking, gardening, painting, languages. We have just signed up a volunteer who is 90 to teach French to a student, who in turn is teaching him Spanish.

Doncaster Dementia Support Service - Befrienders required to provide weekly visits to older people to help with daily tasks such as getting some shopping, a lift to the doctors or just having a cup of tea and a chat.

Rotherham Good Neighbours - Befrienders required to provide weekly visits to older people to help with daily tasks such as getting some shopping, a lift to the doctors or just having a cup of tea and a chat.

Admin support - The Royal Voluntary Service would also welcome people who can set up events, group facilitators, and help with office work.

East and Humberside

Hull Lunch Club (Cottingham) - Volunteers are needed to help at this lunch club is held in Cottingham every Friday. Up to 85 older people can have a fresh cooked meal and dessert. Volunteers are needed to help with serving the meals, and drivers are required to pick up the clients locally.

North Yorkshire

York Home Library Service - Volunteers are required to bring a selection of books and audio CDs to older people in their home on a regular basis. The selection is based on the individual’s taste and preferences. The volunteer is also a friendly face and a useful check on the safety and well-being of the older person. Help with basic IT skills such as downloading e-books and accessing the library online catalogue is also offered.

Bradford Good Neighbours - Befrienders required to visit isolated older people for a weekly chat and cuppa, maybe do some light shopping for them, or maybe assist them on a trip to the park or help them to a doctor’s appointment. Also volunteers required to deliver activity sessions.

West Yorkshire

Leeds: Chapel Allerton Good Neighbours - Befrienders required to help older people maintain their independence and stay involved in the local community as well as to help us run our weekly activity sessions.

Leeds: Meanwood Elders Neighbourhood Action - Befrienders required to help older people maintain their independence and stay involved in the local community as well as to help us run our weekly activity sessions.

Leeds: Community Action for Roundhay Elderly - Befrienders required to help older people maintain their independence and stay involved in the local community as well as to help us run our weekly activity sessions. CARE also have vacancies for outcomes volunteers, who meet older people to find out what support they require; Admin support volunteers; Community transport volunteers; and club volunteers to assist in running its social group.

Leeds: Meals on Wheels - Volunteers required to support our drivers deliver meals to people who have difficulty with shopping, carrying food home of cooking for themselves. The home delivered meals service provides friendly social contact for those who may be confined to the house, and a regular check that they are safe and well.

Leeds: Dementia Room at St James Hospital - Volunteers required to help with the delivery of activities to people with dementia.

Pickering: Hungate Community Centre Luncheon Club - Luncheon Club volunteers are needed to help with preparation and serving of a twice weekly luncheon club.

Wakefield Good Neighbours - Befrienders required to provide weekly visits to older people to help with daily tasks such as getting some shopping, a lift to the doctors or just having a cup of tea and a chat .

Wakefield Meals with Care - Volunteers required to support our drivers deliver meals to people who have difficulty with shopping, carrying food home of cooking for themselves. The home delivered meals service provides friendly social contact for those who may be confined to the house, and a regular check that they are safe and well.

Kirklees Good Neighbours - Befrienders required to provide weekly visits to older people to: have a cup of tea and a chat, go for a walk, take a drive out and about or do a weekly grocery shop. Transport buddies are also required to make regular or ad-hoc transport for older people to appointments, the shops or a social club.

Kirklees Home from Hospital - Volunteers required to support older people when they come out of hospital. Volunteers help with anything from collecting shopping or prescriptions, transport to medical appointments, walking the dog or helping with the garden. They can provide a vital link between the older person and the outside world at a time when they are still recovering from an accident or illness.

Admin support - The Royal Voluntary Service would also welcome people who can give their time to help with vital administration tasks including monitoring and raising awareness. Training will be given.

Help at our hospitals

The Royal Voluntary Service runs many cafes, shops, and trolley services at hospitals throughout Yorkshire, which are in need of volunteers.

Roles vary from trolley volunteers who bring refreshments and a friendly face to older people in hospital who are not able to go to the shop; retail volunteers who working in the hospital shops and help to make the experience a little brighter for patients and visitors; café volunteer who wrking in the hospital café and provide a welcoming place for patients and visitors to have a break; and admin support to help with data input and general administrative duties in the local area.

Vacancies include:

Whitby - trolley service volunteer;

Bridlington - retail volunteer, trolley service volunteer, admin support volunteer;

Harrogate - cafe volunteer, trolley service volunteer;

Seacroft, Leeds - retail volunteer;

St James, Leeds - retail volunteer, trolley service volunteer;

Sheffield Hallamshire - cafe volunteer, retail volunteer;

Sheffield Northern General - cafe volunteer, retail volunteer;

Bassetlaw - coffee shop volunteer, retail volunteer, trolley service volunteer;

Doncaster - retail volunteer, coffee shop volunteer;

Doncaster Montague - retail volunteer;

Grimsby - cafe volunteer, trolley service volunteer;

Rotherham - retail volunteer;

Ironstone Centre, Scunthorpe - coffee shop volunteer

If you would like to volunteer, or to find out more information, call 0845 608 0122. Alternatively people can sign up to volunteer via the website www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk

Please mention The Yorkshire Post and #2016hours

Read more about#2016hours and the Yorkshire Post’s Loneliness: The Hidden Epidemic campaign here.

#2016hours: Help us to help the lonely by donating your time

Two years of campaigning for the region’s most lonely