Larkhall & District Volunteer Group

Larkhall & District Volunteer Group

At a glance

Causes

  • Emergency Services / Armed Forces
  • Health and well being / research and care
  • Local / community
  • Older people / later life

Other details

Organisation type: 
Charity
Geographical remit: 
Regional

Objectives

Larkhall & District Volunteer Group (LDVG)'s aim is to promote the well being of the 55+ community in South Lanarkshire.  We do this through reducing physical and social isolation, increasing health and well being and offering a variety of volunteering opportunities.

The difference we make by offering these services addresses the needs of the local community, in particular the growing issue of people living longer, increase in the number of life-restricting health conditions people live with, increases in loneliness and isolation, and increased poverty within our community. Members of the community experiencing social isolation and loneliness can be left feeling vulnerable which often leads to poor physical and mental health. By attending our activities, members of the community feel connected to others, enjoy improved physical and mental health, have access to support and other services when required and a decrease in social isolation and loneliness. We regularly evaluate our activities and ask our members for feedback, so we are able to evidence the impact we are having in these areas.

Activities

In order to meet our objectives, LDVG offer a variety of services and activities.  We are open to the whole community, with a focus on the older population.  We have approximately 350 members and 70 volunteers.  We offer:

  • Daily call-line which provides a friendly check and chat.
  • 6 lunch clubs which recognise the social value of food, with a nutritious 2 course meal, activities, partner information sessions and socialising.
  • Free Handyperson Service, for non-emergency DIY jobs, assisting people in the community maintain their independence.
  • Activity Groups: IT classes; genealogy classes; walking group; gardening group; Thursday night social group, craft group, armed services community group, and exercise classes. Monthly tea dances and football classics group.
  • Community transport: 4 mobility friendly minibuses available.
  • Volunteer Community Car: liaising with the 3 local GP surgeries, doctors can refer patients to us so we can facilitate their attendance at non-emergency NHS appointments using our electric pool car.
  • Access to excess stock: we work closely with Fareshare and Neighbourly who supply us with excess stock to be shared with our members. We have recently launched our community fridge (Oct 2022).

We work closely with partners to maximise the impact of our combined resources.  This assists us keeping abreast of the changing needs of the community and encourages collaborative solutions.     

We sit on a number of networks and forums to ensure our members voices are heard in community decision making.  Most recently, we are a lead organisation in the Larkhall Community Network which formed to tackle covid support and is now focussed on longer term community support.       

 

Current opportunities

West Central Scotland, ML9 2BL

An exciting opportunity for a dynamic individual to join a team with a proven record of positive community impact.  We are recruiting a Finance...

West Central Scotland, ML9 2BL
  • An exciting opportunity for a dynamic individual to join as a Trustee to support the Charity's work in the community.
  •  Experience
  • ...
West Central Scotland, ML9 2BL

An exciting opportunity for a dynamic individual to join a team with a proven record of positive community impact.  We are recruiting a  Trustee ...