Edinburgh Branch is working with the First Steps team at Parkinson’s UK to deliver a new First Steps Programme in Scotland. A major initiative for all of us.
We know that, when the time is right for an individual, meeting other people with Parkinson’s is important to help face the future positively. Your personal experience of Parkinson’s will help inspire and inform recently diagnosed people as you co- facilitate the programme – made up of four separate online sessions, each three hours in duration
Groups consist of up to six people with Parkinson’s along with their partner or supporter. You’ll lead the group through sessions, delivered online via Zoom, to help them make plans and choices to live as well as possible at every stage of their condition.
As volunteer Hosts you’ll work together in pairs, together with a volunteer Meeting Assistant who need not have Parkinson’s.
This carefully structured programme has been developed from research at Oxford Brookes University, and successfully introduced centrally by Parkinson’s UK. Building on this success, and to meet growing localised demand, Edinburgh Branch is the first local group to take up First Steps.
We’re looking for volunteers to co-facilitate online First Steps courses for people with Parkinson’s in the Edinburgh and Midlothian area, but you may also be interested in facilitating face to face courses when the time is right. For this reason we would prefer you to be based in or around the Edinburgh and Midlothian area.
You can find out more information:
Role Description for Online Meeting Assistants
Please note that both roles require access to a laptop or desktop rather than, or in addition to, a tablet.
We look forward to this wonderful opportunity for collaborative leadership and self-help. With enough volunteers we can run a First Steps course before Christmas, to be followed by more early next year.
If you would like express interest in either role, please do let David Adams (Branch Chair) know.