Handy Persons Scheme

The aim of this project is to offer a repair and assistance service to elderly, disabled and vulnerable members of the community

The scheme recruits volunteers and trains them to undertake tasks around the homes and gardens of their clients.  Handy Persons volunteers improve the quality of life of their clients by providing assistance with tasks they are no longer able to undertake themselves and provides increased social contact.

Volunteering Highland has provided this service in  Inverness and Nairn since 1999 and the area has recently been extended to cover Badenoch & Strathspey.  The Handy Persons Scheme is currently funded through a service level agreement with Highland Council.

Volunteers benefit from induction training, first aid training, training in health & safety and receive appropriate expenses.  Additionally, volunteers can benefit from having a reference when seeking paid employment.

Volunteers don’t require specific skills, e.g. painting and decorating, joinery, gardening, etc. but they do need to enjoy doing these things and working with elderly and vulnerable people.

We also ask volunteers to make a commitment to the scheme and after six weeks ask them to sign a Volunteers Agreement with us. Volunteers are also asked to undertake an enhanced disclosure.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT THE SCHEME AS A POTENTIAL USER, OR IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A VOLUNTEER WITH THE HANDY PERSONS SCHEME EMAIL US handypersons@volunteeringhighland.org. or contact the Handy Person Co-ordinator on 01463 711393 or 07834 753766

Our Handypersons volunteers were interviewed for a piece on Radio Five Live about volunteering in Scotland - listen here!