Housing Options Scotland is developing a new and innovative volunteer opportunity. The Housing Buddies project will match current Housing Options clients with volunteer professionals who will support them with their housing journey. Whether you are retired and looking for a meaningful volunteering project to be involved with, or just keen to offer your time and skills, the organisation wants to hear from you.

Volunteer buddies will support clients with their housing journey. Help comes in a whole host of ways – for example, supporting people to fill out housing application forms; helping to bid for social housing; accompanying people to homelessness interviews and property viewings, or anything else to help clients find the right home in the right place.

CEO Moira Bayne said: “This is a great opportunity for people with expertise in housing or experience working with disabled people, older people or members of the armed forces community to put their skills to practical use by helping our clients when they most need it.

“Housing Buddies is a very flexible type of volunteering. You can be involved on a one-off basis or have a longer-term commitment. We can offer opportunities for personal development to fit around your other commitments and it’s a fantastic way to positively impact people’s lives.”

Newly-appointed volunteer coordinator Ben Parker said: “I am excited to see the Housing Buddies project get off the ground. We know that there can be lots of barriers for people searching for appropriate housing so to be able to develop a volunteer programme which will support people to overcome those barriers is a real positive.

“My role will be to co-ordinate the programme and I’m looking forward to working with lots of different people on the project – from recently retired professionals wanting to dip their toe back in the world of housing, to others who are just keen to volunteer their time and knowledge.”

Volunteers will be paid expenses and offered full training for the role. The level of commitment and involvement required to be a Housing Buddy is highly flexible and volunteer led. Interested? Contact Ben Parker at ben@housingoptionsscotland.org.uk or on 07394566633.