Why volunteer with Memory Lane Cafe?

• Make a difference
• Gain new skills
• Change your life
• Work with a great team
• Meet new people
• Add to your CV

What will I be doing?

Because everyone at Memory Lane Cafe is a volunteer we have a wide range of volunteering opportunities. Our regular cafes need people to get involved in games and activities, chat, provide information, serve refreshments and to drive minibuses. Our social trips out can only happen with the support of volunteers. Throughout the year we need people to attend fairs and galas to raise awareness and funds. Our trustees are also volunteers and welcome assistance from those with appropriate skills.

How much time will I have to commit?

Each Cafe meets twice a month (Sowerby Bridge on 2nd & 4th Saturday and Halifax on 1st & 3rd Wednesday). Once a month at each location we generally get together beforehand for an informal lunch meeting at which we can discuss anything about the Cafe). This means a volunteering day of between 3 and 6 hours twice per month for each location. However, we don’t expect you to turn up for both locations or every Cafe – simply to commit to what you are willing to do. Occasional involvement with our one-off social trips and attending fairs/galas is another very important way of supporting us.

What do we expect from you?

• Enthusiasm
• Reliability in meeting commitments
• Work as part of a team
• Get involved in all aspects of the Cafe
• Treat everyone with courtesy and respect
• Communicate at all levels
• Keep confidences entrusted to you as a volunteer
• Listening and empathising
• Inspiring members to try new things
• Willingness to engage in training
• Respect for our values and policies

What can you expect from us?

• Full induction including DBS check
• Ongoing support and training
• Regular volunteer meetings
• Open-door policy for any concerns that you may have
• Direct involvement in the development of our Cafe
• To be treated with respect in line with our policies
• Reimbursement of agreed out-of-pocket expenses
• To be covered by our organisation’s insurance

How do I get involved?

• We would love to talk with you about your skills and the opportunities we might be able to offer you (we offer training to help volunteers fulfil their potential)
• We take seriously our responsibilities for safeguarding our members so we have a formal application process which includes DBS (Police) checks and getting references
• For more information and to discuss possibilities please contact June Harvey on 01422 706373 or 07920 549131