Meet some of our wonderful volunteers

The picture was taken at our family event ‘Meet & Eat’, where families come to the Community Centre to take part in craft activities, have a meal together and then play some games.

 

This is Jan’s experience of volunteering

I attended the very first ‘volunteers’ meeting back in 2016. I remember how lovely it was to meet fellow volunteers, to chat and get to know each other. It wasn’t long before we were sharing ideas, thoughts and skills.

Since that day I’ve not looked back and I’ve loved every activity I’ve taken part in – and I’ve done a few. My main roles have involved working with children and families. I’ve supported ‘Meet & Eat’ on many occasions and usually take on the role of designing and hosting our craft sessions. This involves coming up with simple craft ideas which can be completed either by the child or with the help of a carer or volunteer. It’s great to sit and chat with the children, to help them along with the activity and to get to know carers. There’s lots going on at the centre so I’m usually taking the opportunity to invite them along to future sessions.

What do I get from volunteering? It’s just so rewarding, and I’ve made so many friends through it. Yes, we are there to help with activities, but we look out for each other too. We take time to chat, to check on wellbeing and to catch up about family members. I started as a volunteer for children’s activities but now I’m assistant gardener (Tony is the boss) and this has brought along opportunities to work with young adults with additional needs, something I’ve never done before but look to do more of in the future. There’s only one area I stay away from – the kitchen! I will leave that to the experts, but I’m happy to eat what they produce.

If you fancy being a volunteer just call into the centre for a chat. You can give as much or as little time as you want to. I work full time but make full use of my flexible working pattern, this allows me to start and finish work early and then head off to the centre to do some gardening – which I find very beneficial for my wellbeing.