Company and Care for the Disabled
Code: 3642370f-1c46-11f0-a3ea-fa163ef8d720 Copied
About the project
Company and Care for the Disabled
📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Our partner is a non-profit organisation and community of adults with and without learning disabilities who share life together. It is part of an International Federation of 150 communities in 38 countries, committed to upholding the dignity and rights of people with learning disabilities.
Currently, it offers supported living to 14 residents with a defining focus on community, integration and inclusivity and deliver outreach projects to 100 participants per week that target areas such as skill development, social wellbeing, independence, confidence, and mental health. These projects are open to its own residents as well as other local adults with learning disabilities and include activities such as cookery, music, art, games, woodworking, and gardening.
The people of the organization aim to create a community that acknowledges the profound desire of every human being for love, friendship, respect and autonomy and where everyone has a place and can offer their gifts. In their relationships, interactions and activities, they strive to foster an atmosphere of welcome, friendship and belonging and create an environment where people can grow, make choices and be valued and contributing members of society. They seek to reveal the particular gifts of people who have learning disabilities in creating a softer, slower and more human world.
💼 What the programme involves
Tasks given to the volunteers:
• Supplement and add value to the care and support services provided to Core Members by the paid support workers. This includes assisting the support workers with care and support provision.
• Supporting Core Members to become more independent in areas such as personal care and looking after their own home.
• Supporting Core Members to participate in a wide variety of leisure, social, practical and spiritual needs activities.
• Supporting Core Members to make their own decisions, develop plans and fulfill their dreams.
• Help to create a positive and supportive community atmosphere:
- By developing relationships with Core Members, staff, and other volunteers;
- By helping to plan and facilitate celebrations;
- By supporting the social and spiritual aspects of community life so that there is an atmosphere of welcome and friendship.
• Work to express and further the Mission and Values of the local organization.
• Care of the houses: Assisting Core Members and support workers with the cleaning of the house, household shopping, meal planning and cooking, laundry, etc.
• Teamwork: Working as one of a team and attending and participating in team and house meetings, care reviews of core members, staff appraisals, and any other meetings requested by the community.
• Liaison: Being responsible for competent, clear communication with professionals, families of people with learning disabilities, neighbours, friends, visitors and other members of the organization who are in contact with the house.
• Statutory Regulations: Comply with all of the organisation’s Policy and Procedures, Health and Safety, and Care Standards/Regulations.
• Training and Formation: Attend training and formation courses as applicable to this role.
• Sharing Your Gifts: the volunteers will have the opportunity to share and use their skills, gifts, and interests to start and develop new projects, add to and enhance existing projects, and develop new areas of interest for the Community.
• Supporting Core Members to participate in the Day Opportunities programmes – horticulture, cooking/catering, arts and crafts, music, and drama, etc.
These role requirements may vary from time to time as the community’s priorities change.
Volunteers’ schedule during fixed activities:
• Supported Living:Supporting core members with tasks such as cooking, shopping, cleaning or simply just chatting over a lovely cup of tea.
Various times throughout the week
• Root Soup: Supporting participants in preparing and catering food. (Sometimes includes a delicious scone during the break.)
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (varying times)
• Gardening: Supporting participants in the growth and maintenance of various fruits, vegetables and plants.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (varying times)
• Pizza Pint Pool: Supporting various participants in an evening of fun, socialising, games, art, … concluding with a delightful free dinner.
Wednesday (4pm to 7pm)
• Saint Johns: Supporting participants during a morning of baking followed by a tea break, a short walk and then some gentle Yoga or Pilates.
Wednesday (9:30am to 3:30pm)
• Community Fare: Supporting participants in exciting group outings to places like the cinema, the farm, the museum or the bowling alley.
Monday/Tuesday (1pm to 5pm)
• Community Fund: Supporting participants during a day of socialising and fun (usually involves a short walk).
Wednesday/Friday (varying times)
Volunteers are expected to work 40 hours per week (they get breaks if they are on longer shifts).
🏠 Accommodation on site
Free accommodation – the volunteer will live in a bedroom in one of the organisation supported living houses or in their volunteer house. This is determined by the house leadership team before the volunteer arrives.
🍲 Food
The volunteer will get a £180 stipend per month which can be used on anything they choose.
If they live in supported living, they can request food weekly which will be added to the shopping list and bought for them by the staff.
If they live in the volunteer house, they get £80 per month (per volunteer) for food and £50 for household cleaning supplies that is put onto a card that they can use and that is kept in the volunteer house.
When they are on shift, they can have lunch and dinner alongside the core members and staff (staff and core members cook lunch and dinner every day).
Each month, our partner has a volunteer meeting with the Volunteer Coordinator and Community Leader during which they choose a takeaway which the organization buys for them.
📍 About the location
The organization itself is located on Knockbreda Road, Belfast, in Northern Ireland (UK).
The Supported Living houses are on Ormeau Road, Belfast, in Northern Ireland (UK).
🎒 Leisure activities
In their spare time, the volunteers are welcome to attend the organization’s day projects and can upskill in areas such as cooking, gardening and woodworking.
⚠️ Requirements
- Being at least 18 years of age.
- A B1 Level English.
- The capacity to handle a lot of movement (cooking, woodworking, gardening, etc) for long periods of time (40h per week).
- Complying with all of the organisation’s Policy and Procedures, Health, Safety and Care Standards/Regulations.
🤝 Meeting point
There is no precise meeting point but our partner organization can offer to collect the volunteer if they arrive between 11am and 4pm however this cannot always be guaranteed. The organization will give a long notice period if its workers are unable to collect the volunteer.
ℹ️ Additional information
The project lasts minimum 6 months and maximum 1 year.
This project/assisting in supported living is a permanent project and therefore always open to volunteer applications. 7 spaces are available each year, but volunteers apply year-round so this fluctuates.
!There are no participation fees but there are additional fees!
The volunteers pay for their Visa, NHS surcharge if staying for longer than 6 months and their flights. The local organisation provides a Certificate of Sponsorship, a supporting letter (to be used in Visa application), accommodation, food, bedding, towels and a stipend of £180 per month.
Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.
Sign in to apply📷 Project photos
📅 Available sessions
01
18/04/2025 at 00:00 → 14/09/2029 at 00:00
ℹ️ Key information
Age required
18–99 years old
Solidarity donation
0.00 GBP
French tax residents may be eligible for a tax reduction of up to 66% of their costs (membership, plane tickets, solidarity donation).
📍 Location
54 Knockbreda Rd, Belfast BT6 0JB, UK
GREAT BRITAIN
🌍 Location info
Local currency
United Kingdom Pound (GBP / £)
Exchange rate
1 GBP = 1.195652 EUR
Rate as of 31/05/2026
Timezone
British Summer Time
Local time: 21:47 (12/11/2026)
🛡️ Before you leave
✅ Features
🏠 Accommodation
🗣️ Languages spoken