Here you’ll find our latest position on coronavirus and face-to-face volunteering. Whether you run a local group, volunteer at events or offer your time in any other way, read our guidance to stay safe.
Face-to-face volunteering events
Face-to-face volunteering can now restart in England, Wales and Scotland, in line with government guidance. We’ve produced guidance to make sure that our volunteers feel safe whilst volunteering with us. Volunteers can find the guidance on the document hub of Assemble, or by getting in touch with their volunteering contact.
We make these decisions based on government guidance, our advice for people living with diabetes, our own risk assessment procedures, any local restrictions and your feedback.
Local support groups and meetings
We know that many groups are keen to start meeting in person, and we are now supporting our groups to start meeting face-to-face again. There are guidance and procedures in place to support our groups to meet safely, and some groups may decide to continue to run virtual meetings.
Your safety and welfare, and the safety and welfare of the public, is our primary concern.
National differences
We recognise that there is currently different government guidance for each of the four nations. Our coronavirus and diabetes information has more about the rules in each of the nations and the support available for people living with diabetes in your area.
In line with current government guidance, face-to-face volunteering can restart in England, Wales and Scotland. We’re reviewing the guidance in Northern Ireland and will update this page as the guidance changes
Support for our volunteers
We know that returning to face-to-face volunteering could make some people feel nervous or anxious. Please get in touch with your volunteering contact if you have any questions or concerns. We’re here to make sure that all our volunteers feel safe and comfortable when giving their time to help us.
We also recognise that this has been an incredibly challenging time and know the positive difference that volunteering makes to our mental health and wellbeing. Although we are slowly resuming some of our face-to-face volunteering, we recognise that not being able to see each other in person can take its toll. Please contact your regional or national team if you would like to get involved in online activities or join an online group meeting.
You can also connect with others through our online support forum, or you can give our confidential helpline a call on 0345 123 2399, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, for guidance and support with managing diabetes.
