Volunteer Musicians
Music is a part of all of our groups - it's a great way to reminisce, to bring people together, and to get our members singing and dancing. We're looking for musical volunteers who like to perform, to come along to our groups every now and then and play us some live music - anything from Elvis to Christmas Carols.
Volunteer Musicians
Volunteer Musician
We’re looking for warm, friendly, enthusiastic and musical people to join our volunteering community as Volunteer Musicians. You don’t need any prior experience of working with people living with Dementia – we’ll give you all the training you need! All we ask is that you are kind, compassionate, sensible and patient – as well as musical – and want to make a real difference to the lives of people living with Dementia in Manchester.
Volunteer Role:
| Volunteer Musician |
Service:
| Friendship & Activity Groups Dementia Cafes
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Hours:
| No fixed hours, 1-2 hours occasionally when required with 1 week notice
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Location:
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Supported by:
| Volunteer Co-ordinator and Dementia Support Co-ordinator |
Training:
| 2-hour Induction training (compulsory) Additional training offered as appropriate
No prior experience needed
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Travel expenses covered.
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About us:
Together Dementia Support are here to help people to live positively with Dementia in Manchester and Trafford. There are an estimated 5,000 people in Manchester currently living with Dementia. We support people to live actively, socially and positively, with support for both people living with Dementia and their loved ones.
Since being established in 2014, TDS has supported over 1,000 people living with Dementia and their loved ones. We currently have over 280 members and 300 carers who we support week in, week out, 52 weeks a year. Our dedicated team of Dementia Group Leaders and volunteers are the lifeblood of our service, working to improve physical and mental health and enable people to live positively with Dementia.
For people living with Dementia, we offer a range of activities such as social groups, walking groups, arts & crafts, music and games groups, as well as one-to-one at home social activity support. For carers, we provide online and in person group support, one-to-one advice and guidance, training opportunities and a friendly ear to listen.
Role description:
We always have music at our groups - it’s a great tool for people living with Dementia. Music can act as a prompt for reminiscing – helping our members tell their story and share their lives, but it also helps encourage social interaction at our groups and of course, it gives members and volunteers an opportunity to dance and sing! Research tells us that music can do lots of good things for our members – it triggers those feel-good hormones that help ease depression, anxiety and agitation, and it can have a positive impact on a person’s cognition, memory, and speech and non-verbal communication skills. We’re recruiting new Volunteer Musicians to help us make this happen!
We’re looking for folk in Manchester that want to share their musical talents with our groups – playing pieces of music or songs for members to sing and dance along to, or even showcasing your particular instrument or style or music. Each week, our groups have a different theme, so you might be playing anything from Elvis Presley songs during our Rock n Roll week, to Christmas songs in December, or Irish folk songs for St Patrick’s Day!
This role is a little different to our regular volunteering opportunities – there’s no fixed weekly commitment, hours or location, as not every group will have a musical focus each week.
You just need to let us know what instrument/s and type of music you can play, and then we’ll get in touch when we have group sessions in need of musicians. All you need to do is tell us if you’re available on that date and time to help out. We’ll aim to give you at least a week’s notice, but sometimes it could be more or less.
Responsibilities of a Volunteer Musician include:
Sharing your musical talents with our groups – being open minded, patient and understanding to the needs of our members
Remaining in good contact with the Volunteer Co-ordinator – letting us know ASAP if you can or can’t attend a session offered to you, so we can make other arrangements if needed.
Arriving 30 minutes before a group session, to meet the group leader and volunteers, and be briefed on the session plan
Being aware and alert of your surroundings – always be mindful of possible safety hazards
You might be asked to help out with non-musical tasks such as preparing refreshments, engaging members in conversation and activities, assisting/guiding members on and off the minibus, and in and out of the building. Note: volunteers are not expected nor required to provide personal care.
Adhering to the following Together Dementia Support policies – Health & Safety, Safeguarding, Equality Diversity & Inclusion, and any other policies deemed relevant.
Accessibility:
This role is available as an accessible volunteering role. If you have any access requirements, we’d love to have a conversation about how we can accommodate your needs and still provide a supported, enjoyable and enriching volunteering opportunity. Please get in touch.
Depending on the location of the group or event needing musicians - building and venue accessibility information will vary. We will provide this information when we advertise each musical opportunity. All venues have step-free access, and are wheelchair accessible.