Reading Rooms Care Home Volunteers

GET INVOLVED. MAKE A LASTING DIFFERENCE.

Reading Rooms is a Verbal Arts Centre programme that uses reading aloud and shared reading to open up conversations that encourage the sharing of personal stories and ideas, and brings pleasure to everyone involved.  It gives everyone involved something to share.

Our Reading Rooms in Care Homes initiative is helping to create a society where care homes are a great place to live, work and visit, for residents, staff, family, friends and the local community.

A Reading Room is a great place to get to know each other better.

Reading together, talking and sharing stories and developing ideas collectively creates powerful and beneficial connections. A Reading Room benefits everyone involved. For residents: Reading Rooms helps bring people together, and provides a platform for the sharing of stories, memories, thoughts and opinions. It gives residents a chance to make their voice heard.

A Reading Room, creates a sense of relaxation and calm, while also improving concentration and memory.

We need YOU to get involved. Currently we are looking for readers for our CARE HOMES project. Become a reader, join in the conversations and help residents to be a part of the community. We are looking for people who love reading and can read aloud and help a group start a conversation. You do not have to be an expert in English Literature.
So how does it work?

• We recruit volunteers from the community to become readers. Each leader receives three days training spread across three weeks. This is an accredited OCN Level 2 Course in Facilitation Skills for Shared Reading. And is followed by Safeguarding Adults Training. This training is free. Volunteers are mentored until they are ready to lead themselves.
• Further support is given with monthly Volunteer Meetings and we have an open-door policy to feedback to us. We also thank our Volunteers with two annual celebratory events.
Come, help to make lasting connections for older people – get involved in Reading Rooms.

Contact Sinead Devine on 028 71 266 946 or email info@theverbal.co