Become a Gig Buddy
Being a Gig Buddy involves attending an event with a person who has a learning disability, meeting up with them as often as your gig requires.
You will also help them to choose the event and help with practical/transport arrangements.
You will be part of a growing community of ‘Sound People’ here in Midlothian, who encourage people with a learning disability to have the social life they choose.
Click the link below to download the volunteering application form
Gig Buddies – Volunteering Application Form
Who are Gig Buddies?
Gig Buddies is a project that was founded by “Stay Up Late”, a Brighton based Charity, in 2013. Gig Buddies started in Scotland in 2016 with Thera (Scotland), and is a befriending project for people with a learning disability. We currently operate in Edinburgh, Midlothian, and West Lothian.
What does a Gig Buddy do?
Gig Buddies aims to link people with a learning disability with volunteers who share a common interest. A Gig Buddies role can involve anything that those two people share an interest in. This could include a music gig but could be any other activity they enjoy doing together, it’s whatever your ‘gig’ is!
What experience do I need?
You don’t need to any experience to be a Gig Buddy! As long as you have good communication skills, are friendly, kind, patient, and have a passion for getting out to events, we would like to hear from you! We need people who want will help Thera Scotland ensure that people with a learning disability are enabled to live active social lives and make their own choices in how they live.
Gig Buddy Volunteer Outline:
- Build a good relationship with the person you are paired with to get a really good understanding of what gigs they might like to go to
- Help the person with a learning disability to make decisions about what kind of gigs they’d like to go to
- Help your buddy develop a social network by regularly attending Gig Buddies social events.
- You’ll need to be willing to help arrange or arrange the gigs that you and your buddy go to
- Be willing to attend a day of training
- Be happy to meet with the person you are matched to roughly twice a month