Imagine if you had to leave every night out at 9pm?
This is reality for many people with learning disabilities. Volunteer as a Gig Buddy and use your love of music, the arts, sport, culture and fun to change someone’s life.
Being a Gig Buddy is easy. Whatever your interests and hobbies, you do what you love and you get a new friend to enjoy those things together.
How Gig Buddies help to improve people’s lives
Gig Buddies helps people with a learning disability and/or autism to live their best lives.
People with a learning disability often need support to help them live the life they want to live. But what do you do when your support isn’t available – especially past 9pm – or doesn’t share the same interests as you?
Gig Buddies fixes this by that pairing up adults with a learning disability and/or autism with a volunteer buddy who shares the same interests so they can enjoy social activities together.
What does a Gig Buddy volunteer do?
You attend 1 event every month or so with a person who has a learning disability and/or autism.
In between events you get together and help your buddy to choose and plan your next outing, including practical/transport arrangements. We will give you training and ongoing support for this.
You can also come along to Gig Buddies socials. These are a great way to meet other volunteers and participants
What is a gig?
Gig Buddies is all about people with learning disabilities having active social lives. So our definition of a ‘gig’ is very loose. It’s whatever you and your buddy say your ‘gig’ is.
It can be… musicals, theatre, sport, cinema, cafés, playing pool, surfing, food markets, horse riding, museums, dancing, video games, clubbing, train spotting, comic cons, mini golf, festivals, etc…
You don’t need to have any particular experience…
But we ask that you are:
- Friendly and kind, with a good sense of humour.
- Proactive and reliable – part of the role is to arrange the gigs that you go to with your buddy.
- Willing to get to know somebody well, and build a good Gig Buddying relationship with them, based on mutual respect and shared interests.
- Attend a 3 hour training course, and then meet up with the person that you are matched with once a month.
- Because Gig Buddying is all about getting to know somebody, we usually ask that you’ll be around for at least a year.
What do I get if I become a Gig Buddy volunteer?
We give you:
- Free training
- A free DBS check
- Ongoing support and advice
- Some expenses for each event you attend
Most importantly you will get a new friend!
How do I apply to become a Gig Buddy?
Complete this quick form and one of our project coordinators will get in touch about meeting you. See below for the areas we cover.
For more information email gigbuddies@ldw.org.uk or phone 029 2068 1160.
*South Wales: Bridgend, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, RCT, Swansea, Vale of Glamorgan. North Wales: Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Wrexham.
What’s the process to start volunteering for Gig Buddies?
- Complete this quick application form.
- Meet your local project coordinator, for an informal interview, with a chance to ask questions both ways. This takes about 1 hour.
- If we both agree to continue the process, you will need to complete a DBS check.
- Attend a short training session to get you ready for Gig Buddying.
- Meanwhile, we’ll think about the best match for you as a Gig Buddy.
- We’ll introduce you to your Gig Buddy, and maybe their carers, family, support workers or friends.
- Your project coordinator may attend your first gig with your buddy to give you both extra support.
- You start volunteering for Gig Buddies – it’s up to you to plan and enjoy fun evenings out with your Gig Buddy!
- Your project coordinator and the Gig Buddies Cymru team will be on hand to support you whenever you need it.
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