Meet Carers Oxfordshire on campus and discover how you can get started volunteering with the charity.

Carers Oxfordshire is a local charity and a sister organization to Age UK Oxfordshire. We provide free tailored support, information, and advice to over 50,000 unpaid carers in Oxfordshire who provide essential care and support to family members, relatives, and friends, often preferring to remain in their caring roles. If they are 18 or older and another adult, child or both, relies on them for help to do everyday things, support is available for for.
The support we provide is personalised, enabling them to identify their own needs and make choices about how and when they are supported. We know that health and wellbeing are important, so whatever the situation, we want to make caring easier for you.

Across the organisation we are currently supporting 306 volunteers give back to their community. Our Phone Friends telephone befriending service offers one-to-one support to individuals in Oxfordshire who experience loneliness and social isolation, particularly those with limited ability to leave their homes. This service has been successful, with over 190 volunteers making a minimum of two calls per week to clients.

We are now launching a new telephone befriending service specifically focused on unpaid carers aged 18 and above. The goal of this service is to reduce feelings of loneliness and social isolation, support carers in maintaining their roles, and improve their quality of life through volunteer-supported regular check-ins. The service also enables vital monitoring of the wellbeing of carers through weekly or fortnightly calls from matched volunteers.

Volunteering in the community creates opportunities for social interaction, increases happiness, improves mood and confidence Volunteering offers people health and wellbeing benefits, including lower symptoms of depression and anxiety than people who don’t volunteer. Volunteering not only benefits the community but also builds something called social capital. This is the value you get from trust and community connections built on a shared set of values. Through volunteering, people build stronger relationships, learn from each other, and feel more connected to their community.

This Volunteering role is flexible, calls can be made at a time to suit you and in the comfort of your own home. You will receive a training session, training pack and be fully supported. We are at the end of the phone and are very happy to help and advise. You can also get access to lots of discounts for Volunteering with us.

Find out more about the charity here.

Want to find out more about volunteering? Volunteering is a fantastic way to enhance your experience at Oxford Brookes and the Careers Volunteer Centre can support you in finding volunteering opportunities. Build your confidence, gain new skills, make a difference to the local community and boost your CV! It’s also a great way to meet new people.

Get started with volunteering and join the #BrookesVolunteers now.

Christmas Volunteering Opportunities.pdf