Become a tea party host
As a tea party host, you’ll host a tea party in your home once or twice a year providing refreshments for the older guests, volunteer drivers and the tea party group coordinator.
Each tea party group usually last for around two hours and normally take place on a Sunday afternoon.
Tea parties provide a lifeline of friendship for socially isolated or lonely older people. The warm, regular, and friendly companionship provides a vital link with the outside world from which they’ve become isolated.
To become a tea party host you’ll need to:
- Attend a 30-minute online volunteer group induction
- Submit an ID check
- Provide a reference
- Complete online volunteer training modules
Tasks include:
- Welcoming older people and volunteers into your home and making them feel comfortable.
- Safely preparing and serving refreshments for the tea party group.
- Ensuring that your home is safe and accessible for the tea party group.
- Following the guidance in the online volunteer training so that the tea parties are safe, enjoyable, appropriate and in line with our charitable aims.
- Keeping in regular contact with the tea party group coordinator so they know when you’re available to host, and so you know how many people to expect and if there are any dietary requirements.
- Reporting any concerns to the tea party group coordinator.
- Keeping your knowledge and training up to date by reading our monthly volunteer newsletter – Re-engage Matters.
Could you be our next tea party host?
This is a flexible voluntary role that can easily be fitted in around your own lifestyle and availability, most tea party hosts host once or twice a year.
A tea party normally lasts for two hours, and you’ll need to plan in a little extra time for setting up and tidying away afterwards.
Tea party hosts will need:
- A downstairs toilet
- Adequate parking outside your home
- No more than two stairs leading into your home
- A selection of seating, such as lounge and hardback chairs
Please note that you must be at least 18 years old to become a Re-engage volunteer.
To keep our services free for older people, we aren’t able to pay expenses for this role.
This is a fun, flexible and rewarding role which will enable you to connect with, and make a real and lasting difference to, the lives of older people who are experiencing social isolation or loneliness.
As a valued Re-engage volunteer you’ll receive training, support and regular updates and communication from the Re-engage team.
We’re looking for tea party hosts who have:
- Good entertaining skills
- A friendly nature
- Good listening skills
- Good conversation skills
- Basic understanding of food hygiene
- Patience and understanding
- A passion for improving the lives of lonely and isolated older people
- Basic computer skills (our inductions, checks and training are all online and our charity is paperless)
If this sounds like you, then we’d love to hear from you. You can apply to be a tea party group host by completing our online application form.