Royal Air Forces Association


Telephone Befriending Outreach Volunteer Role - Added 20/10/2020

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A friendly telephone call can make all the difference to someone who is feeling lonely and isolated during the current coronavirus crisis. The service will pro-actively contact over 20,000 members of the RAF community who we know are in groups identified as being at high-risk from coronavirus and are therefore shielding themselves. We will telephone these people to check on their welfare, offer them ongoing regular telephone friendship calls from a nominated volunteer and alert them to other support available.

What to Expect

Telephone befriending is a streamlined version of our current befriending service. We are primarily reaching out to people we know are in high risk and offering them a regular telephone contact service. Additionally, we will offer the service to people calling the 0800 friendship line who request regular contact rather than the one off ad hoc chat which that service is designed to provide. Initially, we will ask you to call the beneficiary and introduce yourself and the Association’s telephone befriending service. If they are interested, you will remain their befriender for the duration of the project (keeping in touch with them once a week) and report to us on a regular basis.

We will provide a short bespoke online training course and a tailored guide before you start making calls. Not having someone to talk to during these challenging times can be lonely, particularly if the person is used to social activities and spending time with others. A friendly, 30-minute chat that you will offer will make all the difference.

What You Will be Doing

 Making an initial introductory call to individuals we have identified as being possibly in need of the service to explain the support available

 Providing regular social interaction and support to RAF veterans via telephone  Relaying any concerns to your Volunteer Coordinator

 Regularly submitting an activity log summarising your interactions so we can make sure everyone is receiving the help they need

The Skills You Need

 Patience

 Empathy

 Good listener

 Ability to maintain boundaries

Why is it Rewarding?

 It is an important opportunity to help members of our RAF community to feel less isolated and lonely during this crisis.

Mission Statement

The Royal Air Forces Association (or RAF Association), is a membership organisation and registered charity that provides welfare support to the RAF Family.

The RAF Family includes all serving and ex-serving personnel and their dependants. To be eligible for welfare support, for both themselves and those who depend upon them, service personnel need to have served a minimum of one day in the RAF.

The Association exists in the recognition that RAF personnel and their immediate families dedicate their lives to their country, and to ensure that such a sacrifice does not result in suffering, poverty or loneliness.

Whether it’s an injured airman fighting to get back on his feet, a young child missing their parent away on overseas operations, or a World War II veteran needing a shoulder to lean on, we are here to help all generations of RAF Service personnel and their families.