This Volunteers’ Week, we’re celebrating the incredible individuals who give their time to support others and strengthen communities. This spotlight is on a volunteer from Volunteering Matters, a charity dedicated to bringing people together through volunteering to tackle social isolation, improve wellbeing and create positive change across communities in the UK.

Read the full story below to hear more about their experience.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I currently volunteer with 2 organisations (The Royal Voluntary Service & Volunteering Matters) as a befriender, supporting one woman via weekly phone calls and the other with a weekly in-person visit to her home.        

I am 56, and I have worked for both the NHS and am now self-employed as a speech and language therapist. Growing up, my mother had significant health needs and looking back, I was a young carer from 13 years of age, although no one used that term back then. As an adult, I became a carer for my father too, after he was diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease and later dementia. I am fortunate to be in a position to now work part-time and enjoy lots of hobbies, including swimming, cycling, playing the ukulele and am a member of a 100 strong women’s choir in Aberdare! I appreciate and value my good health and all the opportunities that gives me to engage in life and play an active role in my local community.

How did you get involved?

I started volunteering with the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) in 2015, two years after my father died. My dad was a widower, stuck at home with limited opportunities for meaningful interactions with others. He would have loved to have had someone to call in on a regular basis, not as a paid carer but more of a companion, for a chat. Having been a carer for my dad after he passed away, I had some spare time. I decided that if I could offer someone in his position just an hour a week of friendship and conversation, then I would be able to make a small difference to their life.

What difference has volunteering made to you?

Volunteering over the last 11 years has made me feel more connected to my community and given me a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by individuals living alone. It has been hugely satisfying to help others and brought me a sense of contentment, to be able to give my time freely and see the difference it can make.

What difference has volunteering made to your organisation?

It has enabled my beneficiary to reconnect with her community, getting out and about again. It has made me feel like an asset to my community, being able to play a role in social care, which is much needed due to high demand and under-funding.

What would you say to encourage others to volunteer?

So many older people are socially isolated and the research shows us that this has a negative impact on their physical and mental health. Becoming a volunteer befriender benefits not only the beneficiary but the volunteer too! It is so interesting to share stories and learn about people’s lives, and also rewarding to see the difference your regular input can make to their well-being.

If you have an hour a week to spare, enjoy a chat and getting to know people in your local community, then you have nothing to lose and everything to gain! The organisations involved will be delighted to welcome you on board and offer excellent training and ongoing support.

What 3 words would you use to describe volunteering: 

Rewarding, enriching and community-focused!