Bring Your Pet Volunteer (Grimsby, North Lincolnshire)

We support a young man who loves to walk and get out in the fresh air. In a previous placement he built up a good relationship with his carer's dog and speaks fondly of walking her. He would like to be able to go for more walks with a well behaved dog and a confident owner which would also help to support him in the things he really enjoys doing in life.

No experience is required as all relevant training will be provided and you will receive ongoing support from the service manager and the staff team. A knowledge of local walks would be desirable and a dog would need to be calm and well behaved.

Mencap is looking for a volunteer, and their pet to give up some time, volunteering as a duo to spend time with some of the people we support as a Bring Your Pet Volunteer. Whether you have a pampered pooch, a friendly feline or something more exotic - you could make a big difference to the life of a person with a learning disability.

We support adults with a learning disability in a shared home in your local area. They all have different interests and would love a volunteer to come and spend time with them doing what they love! As well as sharing their interests, you will be supporting and improve their social lives and as a volunteer you will have the opportunity to make a real, positive, and meaningful impact in the lives of people with a learning disability.

This role will ideally take place on a weekly or bi weekly basis for a few hours and we can be flexible to arrange this around the best time for you. It could be a weekday, weeknight or weekend. We'd appreciate any time that you can share, so if you can volunteer less regularly please still get in touch.

What you will be doing:

• Bringing yourself and your dog to the home of a person or people we support with a learning disability for a visit
• Heading out for a walk with your pet and a person we support
• Playing in the garden or a local park with your pet and a person we support
• Allowing a person we support to have cuddles and strokes with your pet
• Encouraging social interaction through your pet

As a Bring Your Pet Volunteer you will be:

• Friendly and Approachable
• Reliable, Kind and Patient
• A good communicator (including listener)
• Willing to volunteer within guidelines and to take direction where necessary
• Accepting of others who might be different to yourself
• You must be happy to share you and your pets time with the people we support, this could be at home or on a walk together

As a Mencap volunteer you will:

• Make new friends and help bring joy to someone's life
• Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in line with our policy e.g. travel
• Full Training and support
• Volunteer alongside experienced Care Professionals
• A chance to give back your local community

About Mencap

Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose.

We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

If you have questions about volunteering with Mencap, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us: volunteering@mencap.org.uk