Skip to content

Community Response & Buddy Volunteers

Welcome to your volunteer information. Here you’ll find useful guidance to help you feel confident, prepared and supported in your role.

Thank you for volunteering with us

Thank you for signing up to become a Community Response Volunteer or Community Buddy. By giving your time, you’ll be helping people across Dorset with practical support, companionship and connection when they need it most.

Before you get started, please take some time to read and complete your Volunteer Agreement and familiarise yourself with the Volunteer Guidance Booklet. These will help you understand what to expect from your role, provide useful guidance to support you while volunteering, and explain what you can expect from us.

Please remember, our team is always on hand to support you. If you have any questions, concerns or are ever unsure about anything while volunteering, please get in touch — we’re here to help.

Your Volunteer Agreement

Our Volunteer Agreement sets out what you can expect from Volunteer Centre Dorset and what we ask of you in return. It helps make sure we have a shared understanding of your role and how we will work together to make your volunteering experience safe, positive and rewarding.

Please read the agreement carefully and, when you are happy that you understand it, complete the short form below to confirm your agreement.

Volunteer Centre Dorset commits to:
  • Provide an induction to the organisation, other volunteers, your volunteering role and the training you need to meet the responsibilities of your role
  • Explain the standards we expect for our services and to encourage and support you to achieve and maintain them
  • Provide details of any policies and processes relevant to your role
  • Provide a point of contact who will be able to support and develop your volunteering role with us
  • Reimburse any reasonable pre-approved expenses, incurred by you during the course of your role
  • Provide a safe and healthy environment in which you can work
  • Provide adequate insurance cover for volunteers whilst undertaking voluntary work approved and authorised by us
  • Ensure that all volunteers are dealt with in accordance with our equal opportunities policy
  • Try to resolve fairly any problems, grievances, and difficulties you may have while you volunteer with us.
  • In return, we ask that you:
  • Help the organisation fulfil its aims and objectives
  • Undertake any required induction and training required for your volunteering role
  • Provide any requested documentation, eg references, ID for DBS, prior to commencing your volunteering role
  • Perform your volunteering role to the best of your ability
  • Follow the organisation’s procedures and standards in relation to its staff, volunteers and service users
  • Maintain the confidentiality of the organisation and the service users
  • Meet time commitments and standards agreed to and to give reasonable notice so other arrangements can be made when this is not possible
  • Agree that any work you produce as a volunteer will be owned by the organisation.

    • This agreement is in honour only and is not intended to be legally binding. There is no intention of an employment relationship.

    When submitting information on this form, Volunteer Centre Dorset will not use your personal data for any form of marketing or pass your data on to any third party processors. The data provided will solely be used to respond to your query/email that you have submitted. Your data will only be retained for the purposes already mentioned above or until such time as it becomes no longer valid or you specifically request its removal.

    Your Volunteer Guidance Booklet

    Our Volunteer Guidance Booklet contains practical information to help you feel confident and supported in your role. Please take some time to familiarise yourself with it before you get started, and keep it handy so you can refer back to it whenever you need guidance or a reminder while volunteering.

    View the Volunteer Guidance Booklet >>>