Volunteer

Volunteering for Our Special Friends

We simply can’t do our work without the help of our wonderful volunteers. Every hour given to us can make a difference, enhancing the lives of those they are helping. Our volunteers often tell us that volunteering for Our Special Friends enriches their lives too – check out our volunteer stories.

Our Volunteer Support Manager works closely with our Volunteers to ensure that their roles are suitable and that they receive training and support.

Would you like to volunteer with us?

If so, please read our volunteer policy and find out more about the volunteer activities we offer.

If you’re interested in volunteering with us, please complete the volunteer application form (below) and we’ll contact you to discuss next steps.

Volunteer Application Form

FAQs

Volunteering With Our Special Friends

How much time do I need to volunteer?

As little or as much time as you can give. We have a variety of roles for volunteers which will require different commitments. If you are helping with dog walking that could be as little as 30 minutes. We also have ad hoc roles such as helping transport animals to vet appointments or groomers. Then there are roles that require more of your time such as visiting a client with your dog. Any time you can spare will make a real difference to people and animals in need.

Will I get training?

At Our Special Friends, we have an induction process for all our volunteers to ensure they are confident and well equipped to carry out their roles. We offer bespoke safeguarding training, and you will receive our volunteer handbook which provides you with all the key information. As well as this, we have regular training events throughout the year that you can attend some of which are in person at our office, others which are available online.

What volunteer roles can I do?

At Our Special Friends, there is a volunteer role to suit everyone! Some of the main roles our volunteers do are listed below. Please get in touch if you think you could help in a different way.

Visiting a client in their own home with your friendly pet

Walking a client’s dog or accompanied dog walking

Fostering a pet

Transport e.g. taking a pet to the vets/ groomers

Pet care e.g. in situ care for a cat by emptying litter trays and feeding

Animal behaviour advice

Bereavement support

Fundraising

Administration

Assessing clients

Can I complete my Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) volunteering with Our Special Friends?

Yes, we can support you to complete your DofE. To do this, we would need to fully recruit your parent/ carer too if you are under 16. They would need to accompany you on any visits/ dog walks and support you in your volunteer role.

Why do I need to have a DBS check and complete safeguarding training?

Some of the people we help can be very vulnerable. Regardless of your volunteer role, you are likely to have contact with our clients. By having a DBS check and completing our safeguarding training, you are fully covered by our public liability insurance which protects you as a volunteer for Our Special Friends. It also provides reassurance to those that we support.

What support will I get from Our Special Friends?

As a volunteer with Our Special Friends, you will be joining a very supportive community. We will support you fully throughout your volunteering time with us. Also, our volunteers not only go above and beyond for our clients, they also look out for one another and help each other. Our volunteers bring their own special skills and qualities to our community including those with experience in dog training and bereavement support to name just a few! We keep in touch regularly with our volunteers and we are easily contactable should you need to discuss anything. There are regular training events throughout the year that you can attend. Previous topics include animal first aid, having difficult conversations and dementia training.

What skills do I need to volunteer?

-Excellent communication skills with the ability to listen

-Empathic and friendly manner

-Passion in helping people and animals

-Experience working with vulnerable people (preferable but not essential)

-Experience with animals (depending on the role you wish to do)

-Ability to work comfortably in a close-knit team or alone

-Conscientious with a can-do attitude

Are there any costs involved for me?

No. If you do drive as part of your volunteer role, you can claim back petrol costs at £0.45 per mile. Likewise, if you need to buy anything to carry out your role and once agreed by us, the cost can be claimed back. Our Special Friends can also provide equipment to loan such as bedding, collars, leads and toy for cases.

Why should I volunteer for Our Special Friends?

There are many reasons why volunteering can help us make a difference at Our Special Friends, but it can have a huge impact on you too. Whatever role you choose, volunteering can help you gain confidence, new skills and a network of support. By spending time volunteering in a supportive environment, increasing your confidence and making a difference for people and pets, you can feel a sense of pride and purpose.

“Do you know what makes me so happy? After I have met a client, who so desperately requires animal companionship, and I walk into their sitting room with a dog. Their eyes light up at the sight of the animal and you can see the amount of pleasure, and happiness, having animal contact brings them. I come away from that first meeting and I am filled with such happiness at seeing the amount of joy we can help to provide to one individual. I feel I have been so fortunate to become a volunteer for such a great charity, Our Special Friends.” Christine one of our volunteer assessors.

Can I volunteer with my pet?

Yes, we always need more people with friendly pets for our animal-assisted activity (AAA) visits. Usually it is dogs, and the occasional cat, that become our visiting animals. There have been times where volunteers have introduced clients to their horses. If you are interested in volunteering with your pet, please check out the ‘Volunteering AAA with Our Special Friends’ FAQs.

What if I change my mind?

We know people’s circumstances change and it is completely fine if you change your mind about volunteering with Our Special Friends or would like a break from your volunteer role. All we ask is that our volunteers communicate that with us. We check in regularly with our volunteers too.

Will I be insured by Our Special Friends?

Yes. If you are fully recruited by Our Special Friends and have completed our Safeguarding Training, you are fully covered by our public liability insurance. If you plan on using your car as part of your volunteer role, you will need to make sure your car insurance includes this – updating your car insurance should be at no extra cost to you. Also, if you are volunteering with your pet, we would recommend you have your own pet insurance.

FAQs

Volunteering Animal-Assisted Activity (AAA) With Our Special Friends

How do I apply to volunteer with my dog?

If you’re interested in becoming a visiting volunteer with your dog, please complete our online application form at https://ourspecialfriends.org/get-involved/volunteer/.

The recruitment process for volunteers and their dogs is as follows:

Complete our volunteer form
Give two character references
Complete a dog CV
Volunteer interview and dog assessment
DBS check funded by Our Special Friends
Induction pack containing all the relevant information
Safeguarding training

Annual vet check

Are all dogs and cats suitable to volunteer?

Not all dogs and cats enjoy being a visiting pet. What we ask of our volunteer animals is that they are friendly and comfortable in visiting different people in a new environment. Just like people, all dogs and cats have their own personalities, and we work hard to ensure they are matched carefully to a suitable client. For example, some people prefer dogs with more personality and energy, others like the visiting dog to be calm and placid. Our AAA visits can also include going for a walk with your dog and the client which may be better suited to a livelier dog.

What does the animal assessment involve?

We will meet you and your dog at our office in Newmarket. We will see how your dog greets us and observe their behaviour. We know they will act differently in this environment as it isn’t a home setting and there will be scents of other dogs so we know this isn’t a true reflection of how they will be as a visiting dog. We scan their microchip and weigh them. As our clients will be stroking your dog, we also check how they react to being stroked in different areas e.g. ears and tail and if they like to be brushed.

We do not expect our visiting dogs to be uber trained but that they are happy, healthy and enjoy interaction with humans. We do use treats during the assessment so if you have any specific treats that you would like us to use, please bring them along.

If it is difficult for you and your dog to get to our offices, we have some community assessors who can help facilitate your dog assessment nearby.

We ask our AAA volunteers to take their animal to their vet for a ‘vet check’, unless you have visited them recently. This is repeated annually and can be done at the same time as annual vaccinations or routine checks. This should usually be completed free of charge and can be carried out by a vet or vet nurse.

Does my animal need to be vaccinated and have preventative healthcare?

Yes. They must also have up-to-date vaccinations (or proof of Titre testing), a regular worming treatment and be protected against fleas. We cannot accept applications for visiting dogs who are on a raw food diet.

Please read our ‘Visiting dogs – vaccination and parasite control’ guidelines here

How often am I expected to visit?

For our AAA visits, usually these require a once-a-week commitment which is anywhere from 30 minutes up to 1 hour. Sometimes it can be agreed to be a fortnightly visit but as our clients are lonely and isolated weekly visits are preferable.

What support will I get from Our Special Friends?

As a volunteer with Our Special Friends, you will be joining a very supportive community. We will support you fully throughout your volunteering time with us. Also, our volunteers not only go above and beyond for our clients they also look out for one another and help each other. Our volunteers bring their own special skills and qualities to our community including those with experience in dog training and bereavement to name just a few! We keep in touch regularly with our volunteers and we are easily contactable should you need to discuss anything. There are regular training events throughout the year that you can attend. Previous topics include animal first aid, having difficult conversations and dementia training.

What does Our Special Friends expect from its visiting volunteers?

We expect that you always keep your dog under control, some clients are happy for your dog to sit next to them on the sofa or on an armchair, others would prefer they had all paws on the floor. We always respect your preferences. We need you to be aware of the signs of stress in your dog and end the visit accordingly. You should be friendly and have excellent communication skills to talk and listen to our clients. You should also be proactive and vigilant in reporting any concerns you have back to Our Special Friends office team. We need you to be reliable and if for any reason you can’t visit you need to inform Our Special Friends and/or the client.

I don’t own a dog, but look after someone’s and know them very well. Can I volunteer with them?

Absolutely. We ask that you have known the dog for at least 6 months and that you know them very well. It is important that they trust you, are responsive to your instructions and that you are aware of their signs of stress. And of course, that you have permission from the owner to volunteer with them.

How old does my dog need to be to visit?

We ask that our volunteer dogs are older than 1 year. This is to allow time for you to bond with your dog, for their personalities to have developed and for those puppy traits to have subsided! We also consider the age and health of the dog when visiting and decisions are made with you as to when your dog should ‘retire’ as a volunteer.

Tell me more about how visits work

Before you visit a client in their own home, they would have been assessed by our team to ensure they are suitable and appropriate for our AAA programme. We would speak to you to and tell you more information about the person to see whether you would be happy visiting them. Then a match meeting takes place where a member of our team would introduce you and your dog to the client. If both parties are happy, then the visits would continue. After the match meeting, you would visit independently with your dog. You can always contact Our Special Friends if you have any concerns, or your plans need to change. Our Special Friends also review AAA visits after your first independent visit, after 1 month, after 3 months and then 6 monthly thereafter.