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Life Story Writer Volunteer`

St John Ambulance Australia SA Ltd.
Logo for St John Ambulance Australia SA Ltd.

St John Community Care is looking for volunteer writers to engage with older generations in writing their life story in their own homes.

St John Ambulance Australia SA Inc. (St John SA) is a not for profit organisation in the South Australian community working for the Service of Humanity. St John Community Care works to improve the quality of life by providing social support services to eligible older people and people with a disability to help them to remain independent, improve their wellbeing and social connections and support them to continue to be active contributors to their community. One of the ways we do this is through the Treasured Stories program.

Treasured Stories program The purpose of St John Treasured Stories program is to create an opportunity for older persons to share their life experiences with family, friends and loved ones. It provides an avenue for them to reflect on their life in a way which can bring enjoyment, peace and closure while at the same time leaving a legacy of living history for future generations.

Volunteer writers are matched one to one with a client based on preferences, personality and geographical area. Volunteers make weekly/fortnightly visits to the client’s home for approximately 3 to 4 months. The client’s story is then handed to our volunteer graphic designers to format and create the client’s Treasured Story Book.

The skills we’re looking for are: Our volunteer writers engage their clients not only as the story-teller but also as the co-creator of their own story. They provide their clients with the opportunity to express their voice, to feel heard and understood and to work in partnership. This positive, affirming relationship is vital, especially for people who are experiencing social isolation and exclusion from community life due to increasing fragility. This requires the: • Ability to relate well to older people • Interest and skill in writing/interviewing • Good communication skills • Good grasp of language and grammar • Consistent commitment • Empathy and compassion

What we can offer you • A supportive and encouraging environment in which you can grow your skills and knowledge • Mentoring by more experienced writers • A thorough safeguarding procedure and training in relevant safeguarding issues • The unique friendships that are formed and the sense of giving back to the community

This position would suit individuals with writing experience or those with or working toward writing qualifications wanting work experience in this area.

You can not apply for this role as it is no longer available.