Singing for the Brain Support Volunteer - South Asian Families - Wolverhampton

Our Singing for the Brain sessions offer people affected by dementia a chance to enjoy a fun activity within a supportive environment, but we need you to help make this happen! Singing for the Brain is a structured group session, designed around the principles of music therapy and singing, for people with dementia, who may attend alone or with a carer. These uplifting sessions offer the people attending an enjoyable activity, as well as the chance to socialise with other people affected by dementia.

As a Singing for the Brain Support Volunteer, you’ll be welcoming and talking to people with dementia, helping them to feel at ease. You will help set up the room and tidy away at the end of the session and help prepare and distribute refreshments as well as supporting the session facilitator by distributing materials such as songbooks. Once the singing session starts, you’ll provide encouragement to participate in the activity, and support the session facilitator with the activities, either online or in person.

You’ll be great for the role if:

• You have an interest in developing meaningful relationships and making a real difference.
• You want to enable people with dementia to find their voice through music in an incredibly rewarding role.
• You are fun and enthusiastic.
• You have the ability to listen and display compassion.

If you are supporting our virtual sessions, you will need to be able to navigate effectively online and be able to use Zoom with confidence. Experience of dementia is not essential, nor is the ability to sing!

Singing for the Brain Group for South Asian Families takes place on a monthly basis, normally the 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Bob Jones Community Centre, Bromley Street, Wolverhampton, WV2 3AS. Volunteers to be in attendance between 10:30 am and 1 pm. The location is accessible.

Please come along to a taster session first if you want to get a feel for the role! You can request this on application. If you or someone you know would like to apply, but are not confident using online systems, we will be happy to facilitate an offline application for you. Please email [email protected] for more info.

Our group is very popular and we are looking for people to help us to continue to raise awareness and support people affected by dementia from a South Asian Culture. Bi-lingual applicants are encouraged, as we have a wide variety of service users, many from South Asian families. It is not a requirement that you are South Asian, however, experience of working or supporting with South Asian cultures are preferred.

You must be friendly, warm, and willing to engage and participate with service users, singing, dancing and having fun. You do not have to be able to sing but our participants will expect you to dance! We strive to keep a safe and approachable space for our service users, so you must be willing to partake in keeping the space safe for all!

If you find completing online applications difficult, please don't let this stop you from applying. Please call or email us and we can support you with the application process. You can contact the Volunteering Recruitment Team by emailing [email protected] or call on 0300 222 5706. Minimum age 16.

About Alzheimer's Society: Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime. At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be. Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.