Your mum, colleague or friend. Anyone can get Parkinson’s, young or old. Every hour, two more people are diagnosed. Unlocking new treatments means delving into the causes of Parkinson’s. That’s why we fund the Parkinson's UK Brain Bank – the world's only brain bank dedicated to Parkinson's research. Over 10,000 people have donated their brains to help scientists around the world to unravel the mysteries of the condition and develop better treatments. The largest charitable funder of Parkinson’s research in Europe, we’re close to major breakthroughs. So we set up the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech, fast tracking the most promising scientific discoveries into life-changing new treatments. Collaborative, risk-taking, and bold, we’re the only Parkinson’s charity working in this way. We’ll break through barriers in drug development and make new treatments a reality. Until then, we're here for everyone affected by Parkinson’s. Fighting for fair treatment and better services. Making everyone see its real impact. Parkinson’s has over 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety. Some are treatable, but the drugs can have serious side effects. And it gets worse over time. But people don’t understand Parkinson’s. We campaign to challenge this and make more people care. We influence policymakers to consider Parkinson’s when developing government programmes. We've achieved 63 positive policy changes since 2015 . We are Parkinson's UK. Powered by people. Funded by you. Together we'll find a cure.

Job description

We're looking for volunteers to facilitate and support a group of people affected by Parkinson's to continue valuable speech exercises.

What difference will you make?

Through your role as a Speech Confidence Group Facilitator Volunteer you will have the opportunity to Be part of a team of caring people Create and deliver communications sessions for people with Parkinson’s Use and develop valuable skills, including planning, leadership, evaluation and group work Gain valuable work experience which could help your future career Meet new people and forge new friendships Do something useful and meaningful for people living with Parkinson's in your area Be an important part of Team Parkinson’s and learn about the important work we do

What are we looking for?

Facilitation skills Excellent organisational skills Commitment to deliver a set monthly session Solid leadership and team-working skills Excellent communication skills - verbal, listening, reading and writing To be friendly, empathetic and non-judgmental To be warm and able to connect with all types of people from all backgrounds Be committed to diversity and inclusion A commitment to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s To have a ‘growth mindset’ - be open to self-reflection and improving the project

What will you be doing?

You’ll be delivering online sessions, once a month for an hour, with exercises based on LSVT LOUD, adopting the general principles of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment. Delivering alongside other volunteers, you'll help provide encouragement and a positive environment for people to practice their skills and for attendees to access peer support, helping them to take control of Parkinson's. You'll gain experience of working in a speech confidence environment, and have a real impact on people affected by Parkinson's. Key Role Activities Plan and organise speech confidence sessions (using template resources) in advance of each monthly session Lead by example, speaking loudly and clearly Ensure all preparatory materials / information is completed ahead of time ready to be shared with participants Ensure that information and data are handled in compliance with GDPR

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