Volunteer stories

Charlotte has been volunteering with Wycombe Museum as a Front of House volunteer since September 2024. She was one of the first volunteers to successfully match to an opportunity on Volunteer Bucks. How did you out about Volunteer Bucks and the volunteering opportunity? I initially heard about Volunteer Bucks through a Facebook post shared by the Mayor of High Wycombe. When I used the platform for the first time, I thought it was excellent, and I was amazed by the number of roles available. I have shared Volunteer Bucks with several friends because there is so much available - whether you're interested in nursing, gardening, or supporting young people. There is something for everyone. Applying for the role with Wycombe Museum was straightforward. I found the role in a search, applied on the platform, and they got back to me almost immediately. From there I was able to arrange a time to go in for an interview and start volunteering. What is your volunteer role and what does it involve? My role as a Front of House volunteer at Wycombe Museum is varied. It involves being on hand to welcome visitors, supporting with school visits & community events, and general day to day running of the museum. This role also requires me to explain displays, answer questions, and encourage donations when needed. Why do you volunteer? I have the time to spare and wanted to use it to give back to the community. I'm a very social person and volunteering allows me to meet new people, keep active, and use my brain. Volunteering also allows me to have more structure in my week. As a minimum I volunteer on a Friday every week and help out when there are special events too. What attracted you to this role? When my children were little, we visited the museum often as it was local to me. We always had a good time as a family, so I wanted to pay it back - especially as the museum is a free service! I previously has a career in nursing and wanted to step outside my comfort zone to try something new. The Front of House role gives me the perfect opportunity to do so. What are the best bits of volunteering in this role? I love all of it - it's a great team. The Volunteer Manager keeps everything well organised, and I get the change to learn lots. I have been paired with another volunteer, and we've got a plan in place where I can learn something new about an object every week. What's the most challenging part of this role? Nothing is challenging, I just enjoy it! Would you recommend volunteering and if so, why? I would highly receommend volunteering to anyone who is able to offer their time. Gaining knowledge and meeting new people are great benefits. And if people aren't already using Volunteer Bucks, they should! Volunteer Bucks has changed my life - it's exactly what I was looking for.

Noreen supported the finance team at Talkback UK with their invoicing processes. She was one of the first volunteers to use Volunteer Bucks. How did you find out about Volunteer Bucks and the volunteering opportunity? I had been using the Volunteer Matching Service since September 2023 and made the switch over to Volunteer Bucks when the platform became available. The transition was easy; I didn't have to do anything except register myself. Finding my volunteering role was simple too - the platform and interface are very user-friendly. Roles are easy to search for and all the information you need is readily available. I applied in September, and after the interview and checks I was able to start the role in the same month. What was your volunteer role and what did it involve? My role with Talkback UK was the Accounts and Finance Support volunteer. This involved helping the finance team to upload and pay invoices for the charity. I think I joined the organisation at a pivotal time. They had an audit coming up, so I was able to facilitate clearing up the backlog of work. Why do you volunteer? I had been off work for several years to focus on raising my children. Volunteering is a great way for me to gain experience and get back into work. What attracted you to this role? There were a couple of reasons why I chose this role. Firstly, I was attracted to the mission and work of Talkback UK. They offer great support to autistic people and getting them back into the mainstream world. Secondly, because I had previously worked as an office administrator in a college for 6 years, so it was a familiar environment to ease myself back into. I wanted to work in the background for a worthwhile cause, and this was a great way to do it. What were the best and most challanging parts of this role? For me, the part I enjoyed most was learning something new and learning what goes on behind the scenes for a charity. There wasn't anything too challenging, but the systems and processes did take some time to get used to. Every organisation does things their own way, so it did take some time to learn the ropes. Would you recommend volunteering and if so, why? Yes, definitely! I believe what you give back to society with any role, especially in a charity like this, makes volunteering worthwhile. I would recommend to everyone to volunteer in whatever field they're interested in if they are looking for a job or if they have any time on the side. I'm in a paid role now which volunteering helped me get to. When I left, I as even able to recommend my friend who took over the role.

Evie has been recently matched as a Buddy Lead volunteer with Macmillan Cancer Support, and as a Schools Service volunteer with the NSPCC. She is excited to be stepping into the next chapter of her life through volunteering. What led you to volunteer? I have been unemployed for several years due to a long-term health condition which has prevented me from returning to work. This has been frustrating as I used to be very professionally active. I am embarking on a new chapter in my life and volunteering is a way of being part of an organisation again, and I am glad to apply my skills, and personal and professional experience. I have learnt a lot about myself through my health condition, so this is a chance to bring everything together and give back to others. In the long term I will be looking to be returning to employment at some point. Volunteering means being able to hold my head up high and get back into professional environments again, as I have felt a lot of shame and embarrassment from being out of work for an extended period. Now I will be part of a team again, and it feels good to be able to update my CV with volunteering activity. I also know my self-worth will improve – in fact it already has – and it’s something else to think about rather than my personal situation. It also means social integration as I’ve been quite socially isolated at times due to ill health. Volunteering means I can take it step by step and get the balance right for me. I’m stepping into next chapter of my life through these volunteer roles, and I’m looking forward to getting started, to do some good and to an exciting future. How did you find out about the roles? The organisation I volunteered with three years ago found most of their volunteers through Buckinghamshire Volunteer Matching Service, so came across the Service then. After going through some difficult circumstances, I have decided to reach out to see what volunteering roles were on offer. I was quite clear on what I was looking for – something based on my previous volunteering experience. The Volunteer Matching Service team suggested a few roles and, after a further chat, I was able to make a more informed choice about the roles I wanted to get involved with. It is quite a personal decision. What are your volunteer roles and what do they involve? One of the roles is with NSPCC as a Speak out Stay safe volunteer, delivering workshops in primary schools to teach children about the different types of abuse and how they can speak out and stay safe. This appealed to me because I have previous experience in youth work along with my own personal experiences, which I can use in this role. I felt it was important to be myself and honest in the interview process. The other role is as a Buddy Lead volunteer with Macmillan Cancer Support to help with the Macmillan Buddy service which provides a lifeline for people with cancer. It will involve leading another small team of volunteers helping people with cancer. The roles are quite different from one another and are also looking for different commitments each month. Overall, they fit with the commitment length I’m looking for. What has the onboarding process been like? Both roles have quite stringent onboarding processes, which is reassuring, as they are both sensitive roles, where empathy and sensitivity is key. So far, I have been accepted for both roles and currently in the onboarding process. Interestingly, when I spoke with the volunteer coordinator at Macmillan, based on my answers to her questions and lived experiences of losing close family members to cancer, she offered a more senior volunteer role managing a team of volunteers. I was not expecting this; it has given me a bit of self-confidence and it is good to know I can apply more of my skills to the organisation. I’m looking forward to giving it a go. What has registering with Volunteer Matching Service meant to you? The Volunteer Matching Service has been a springboard for me. I know I’m not yet ready to be in paid employment, as I am still in a transition period, so when I was looking at what else I can do with my time, the Service was the ideal place for me to turn to. I would like to grow in confidence: even the recruitment process gave me workplace experience and a reason to hold myself in a professional way again. The interview process and training has already helped me feel a very different person. And it shows – friends and family members are noticing! It is also inspiring others: there is a real ripple effect to getting involved with volunteering. Further information: To find out more about NSPCC or Macmillan Cancer Support, visit the NSPCC website and the Macmillan Cancer Support website . March 2024

Colin volunteers as a hospital car driver as well as a trustee for Community Care North Bucks - two roles which he says have helped him to build communication skills and empathy. How did you find out about the roles? I registered with the Volunteer Matching Service at the beginning of the pandemic and found roles with a couple of charities. I still had time to offer so, when the Volunteer Matching Service’s weekly email referred to a driving role taking patients to hospital, I put my hand up and joined the Hospital Car Service which operates under Community Care North Bucks. The following year I was invited to join the Board of trustees. The Hospital Car Service has also won the Proud of Bucks Award for Best Community Group in the Buckingham and Villages Community Impact Board category, and Community Care North Bucks was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2018. What are your volunteer roles and what do they involve? I drive patients, who have been referred to us by their GP in North Bucks, to and from hospital appointments one or two times a week. Volunteer drivers pick the patients up from their home, take them to their hospital appointments and then take them home again. They are my favourite couple of hours in the week – I can honestly say I get far more out of volunteering than I put in. In the trustee role, I help with organisational skills to run the organisation effectively, and the discipline around governance and compliance. Why do you volunteer? Covid taught us the importance of local community, and to help people. For me, volunteering is about the connections you make with people, and in providing much-needed community services. What attracted you to these roles? The driver’s role provided flexibility as volunteers choose what the levels of commitment and travel distances. It doesn’t matter how old you are or your background, you can get involved. It’s delivered by the community, for the community. The trustee role allows me to transfer my skills and experience. I had built up a lot of skills in my corporate background that I could bring to the role, particularly business skills – specifically IT and accountancy – as well as financial discipline and skills around motivating people which has always been a passion at work. It’s an exciting time of development and growth for the charity, looking at the future strategy and how we can expand the services we offer and fundraise to meet the high demand. The roles mean I volunteer with people who are passionate: there is no lack of enthusiasm. Have you found anything surprising about the roles? I wasn’t expecting to get as much out of volunteering – the sense of worth and the feeling that I truly get out more than I give. I have really enjoyed the time I have been volunteering in these roles, and others, since I started volunteering four years ago. What skills have you developed since joining the organisation? Communication and empathy. When picking up a passenger, I might be the first person they have spoken to all week and these skills really come into play. I have also learned, through training, about safeguarding potentially vulnerable people – how to spot the signs and respond to them. What difference does your volunteering make to others? We connect with people. This is not just a taxi service – we take people to appointments, wait for them until they finish, and return them home. We chat with them in the car and it’s lovely to connect on a human level, share stories and histories, particularly during a time that’s potentially not very pleasant for the patient. Would you recommend volunteering and, if so, why? Absolutely – it’s great to give back and do something positive. However small the contribution, you are making a difference and it’s a great thing. As long as I am fit and able, I want to carry on volunteering. Additional information: To find out more about Community Care North Bucks and the services on offer, visit the Community Care North Bucks website. If you need help getting to an appointment, please phone the Transport Hub on 0800 085 8480. If you are interested in setting up a Community Transport Scheme , find out how Community Impact Bucks can support you by visiting the Community Transport webpage. December 2023

Malcolm was a volunteer for the annual residential sports event where young people have an opportunity to try a variety of wheelchair sports. What is your volunteer role and what does this involve you doing? I volunteered for the WheelPower National Games in June 2023. The annual event provides children with disabilities to try a variety of sports and my role was to support the coaches and children. Over the two days that I volunteered, I assisted with Badminton, Boccia, Hand Cycling and Tennis. This involved collecting tennis balls, helping children into and out of the hand cycle and fixing chains, throwing, hitting shuttlecocks for the children to hit, and helping them to use the racket to hit the shuttlecocks. Why do you volunteer? I have always volunteered when I can. I volunteer as a team member for the Volunteer Matching Service – matching other volunteers – and enjoy talking to some great people who are willing to give up their time for others. I see a lot of volunteer opportunities through my role at the Volunteer Matching Service and the WheelPower National Junior Games caught my interest, so I offered to help. I had previously volunteered as a marshal with WheelPower for the Tour De Vale Cycle ride earlier in the month and had a very positive experience. What attracted you to this role? I have always had an interest in sports and once volunteered as a youth leader when I trained children in track events. I thought I would enjoy and be able to bring something to the role. What are the best bits about volunteering in this role? The energy and willingness of the children to take part, especially the smiles and laughter from them as they succeeded and improved in the events. Are there any challenging aspects to this role? It was a physical and tiring couple of days, but well worth it to see the joy on their faces. What do you gain personally or professionally from volunteering? The satisfaction that I made a difference to a number of children, enabling them to take part and meet their goals. It was great to see the energy and joy of those taking part. Would you recommend volunteering and, if so, why? I have volunteered in a number of roles during my life – some short term, some long term and some very exacting (Chair of Governors for a school for 12 years.) I have always felt that I have learnt from these experiences and that it has helped me to understand others better. Further information: To find out more about WheelPower and the National Junior Games, visit the WheelPower website .

Volunteering at her local GP Surgery, Julia provides administrative support. She says this means she builds her knowledge and experience and has fun while being helpful and making a difference. What is your role? I volunteer 4 hours a week at a GP Practice, doing a range of office and admin duties. I wanted to do anything that was needed to help with the post-Covid recovery of the NHS and, when I heard about this role from the Volunteer Matching Service, I liked the idea it was just one regular session a week and in a small setting as it would make it easy for me to find my feet and get to know the team. What does the role entail? I phone patients to invite them in for flu vaccinations and book them in on the computerised appointment system. Similarly, I’ve been booking in patients for men’s health checks and routine blood pressure checks. Other tasks include filing, copying and other general office work. Did you have training? Yes, it has mostly been task-based training as I go along, which was good from my point of view as it meant I was doing something useful from the start. The Practice Manager has been very supportive, and I am definitely more confident with my IT skills now. What difference are you making to the Practice? I have been able to help with areas of work that the surgery staff don’t always have time to do because of their high workload. I am just so glad I have been able to help. What difference has voluntering made to you? Family priorities have meant I’ve not been in a workplace for a while now and I felt a bit out of practice at first, but it has been good to embrace new challenges. I have expanded my computer skills. One of the things I have most enjoyed has been phoning patients. It has given me a sense of achievement. I find it rewarding and interesting, and I enjoy talking to the patients. It’s good fun, I’m building on my skills and experience, while being helpful and making a difference to the team. Would you recommend volunteering in this type of role? I have got a lot from volunteering, so yes – it is a really good thing to do

Voluntering at Aylesbury Police Station, Paul feels that this is an important role and says that he gets far more out of volunteering than he feels he puts in. What is your role? I’m part of a team of independent custody volunteers who make unannounced visits to people held in police custody to check on their rights, entitlements, wellbeing and dignity. The independent custody visiting scheme is run by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, and all my custody visits are to Aylesbury Police Station. What attracted you to this role? I have been volunteering for years in various roles, including those that the Volunteer Matching Service matched me to. They have always tended to be practical roles, very worthwhile and rewarding but the Independent Custody Visiting role offered more of an intellectual challenge than some other roles. I worked for the Police Service many years ago and that also played a part in piquing my interest. What difference do you think your role makes? It is an opportunity to be an independent voice commenting on the running of the custody process. It is important to both the person being detained and to the Police who have placed that person in custody, providing an independent perspective to both sides. Was there a long induction process before you could get started? It did take a while – I was matched to the role in July but did not do my first custody visit until December. For a while, visits were difficult to do because of Covid-19. Both the interview stage and the induction process were positive experiences and so didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the role. What has the experience been like so far? It is living up to my expectations and the induction process prepared me very well, so there have been no real surprises. The most interesting bit is meeting people in very unusual circumstances and working out how to have a conversation with them that reassures them of my independence and can establish whether they are being properly treated without prying into how they came to be detained. Some detainees definitely welcome the human element that the custody visits provide. Would you recommend this role to others? Yes, I am enjoying it and would be happy to talk to anyone about the role. Anyone who has an independent perspective, and an open mind could volunteer as a custody visitor. It would actually be good to have more diversity across the team reflecting other the wider range of equality characteristics. Would you recommend volunteering generally? Yes. It seems to me that in every role I have, I get more from the experience than I feel I have given. I have met such a variety of people that I would not otherwise have done. Most importantly, I feel I am part of something that is delivering for the common good. Additional information: You can find out more about Independent Custody Visitors on the website for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner .

Madeleine runs baking sessions in the training kitchen at the Bagnall Project in Chesham, run by the Oasis Partnership. What is your role? I run baking sessions for young people in the training kitchen at the Bagnall Project. It is all very hands-on and inclusive. Each week I decide what we are going to bake and let the young people know in advance. If they don’t like an ingredient then we can plan to make an alternative version as well so we have some making cinnamon buns and others making fruit buns. Each session lasts about 2-2½ hours and although everyone is focused on the baking it is a social experience too. What led you to volunteer? I had been working for many years in the charity sector on the fundraising side and, after being made redundant, I had time on my hands that I could do some good with. I initially thought I would volunteer driving people around. Baking with young people just wasn’t something I’d thought about but when the Volunteer Matching Service rang and mentioned the kitchen role to me, it just ticked all my boxes. Being matched to the right role makes all the difference both to the volunteer and the charity. What difference do you think your role makes? I see the young people developing and growing in confidence in addition to learning new recipes and baking skills. Some of them are really creative and this is a chance for them to demonstrate that. I’m sure the practical and social benefits to them will continue well after they have moved on. What do you gain personally from volunteering? I really enjoy it. Sometimes I go into a session feeling tired but always come out feeling invigorated. I see the young people starting to make friends and develop confidence as well as learning to bake. At the end of the session, as they leave with their freshly baked food and having clearly had a good time, I think to myself “I helped make that happen”. Do you feel valued as a volunteer? The Oasis Partnership is very good at making us feel appreciated. Volunteers get regular newsletters to keep us involved and informed and I get regular positive feedback from the Volunteer Co-ordinator. I know I am appreciated. Would you recommend volunteering? Yes; I would definitely recommend finding the right role though and the Volunteer Matching Service can help with that. If the role is right for you, you’ll find it really rewarding. Additional information: You can find out more about The Oasis Partnership on its website .

Sam says her whole experience has been positive and she’s delighted to be supporting a family to get to a much happier position. What led you to volunteer? I signed up with the Volunteer Matching Service in the Christmas holidays; our family had gone through a difficult time over the past year, what with COVID and everything, but I realised we’d been lucky compared with some families who did not have the advantages and support that we did. I have two very young children and thought I would like to volunteer to help others with young families, to ‘pay it forward’. When I got the call from the Volunteer Matching Service about the Boost Family Support role it was exactly what I wanted. What is your role? I am paired up with a family as a mentor to support them and provide encouragement and advice to help them move to a stable and positive environment for both the parents and the children. What difference do you think your mentoring has made? I think the family always had the ability to sort things out for themselves but needed someone to listen to them, help them find a way forward and reassure them that they could succeed. It was important to them that I was there for the whole family and didn’t just have a narrow focus on the children. It has been brilliant seeing the whole family progress to a much happier place. Watching them change and grow in confidence has been fascinating. What do you gain personally from volunteering? I think it has opened up my thinking and my attitude to dealing with issues in my own life. Also seeing how the family has progressed has really given me joy. Did anything surprise you about the role? Not exactly, but I did wonder how good a fit I would be as I work in a very corporate environment and lots of the other volunteers at Connection Support work with children or are in much more person-focussed jobs. In fact, I took to it like a duck to water. Would you recommend volunteering? I would absolutely recommend it. You get so much out of it for yourself as well as helping others. There are big benefits on both sides. Additional information: The Boost Family Mentoring service is no longer available but to find out more about Connection Support and other volunteering opportunities they have to offer, visit the Connection Support website .

Katy takies bookings for scooters or wheelchairs and hands them over to clients at the Eden Centre in High Wycombe. What led you to volunteer? During the pandemic I saw lots of stories about people volunteering and I just wanted to help, to ‘give something back’, so I registered with the Volunteer Matching Service. When one of the team spoke to me about the Shopmobility role, I knew nothing about the charity or what it does, but I thought I’d give it a go, I find I am really enjoying it. What is your role? I am one of the volunteers who man the Shopmobility office in the Eden Centre in High Wycombe. On a typical afternoon I’ll spend my time answering the phone, taking bookings for scooters or wheelchairs and handing them over to clients for their use. If a client hasn’t used the service before I’ll sort out their membership and take them through a mini-driving test to make sure they know how to use the equipment safely. When the scooter or wheelchair is returned then I’d clean it to minimise COVID infection risk. Was there anything surprising about the role? I had to do a little driving test in a mobility scooter myself to make sure I could operate it safely as well as showing clients how to use them. One of the services the charity offers is that we can meet clients at the bus station with a pre-booked scooter or wheelchair so its important that all the team can ride them safely. We also have to be able to manoeuvre them around the premises for cleaning and storage. What do you gain personally from volunteering? I enjoy interacting with people who I wouldn’t have met in my everyday life. Many of them are eager to chat and, for some, a trip to the Eden Centre with the help of a Shopmobility scooter is the only outlet they have. It is wonderful to be able to make a difference to people. Many of them are just so grateful, and often pleasantly surprised that the service is free. I am part of a great bunch of people at Shopmobility, it is a really friendly team. They are very flexible and understanding if I can’t volunteer on my usual afternoon and have to swap to a different day. Would you recommend volunteering? I would absolutely recommend volunteering – whether at Shopmobility or elsewhere. If you have the time, it can be so fulfilling. Additional information: You can find out more about High Wycombe Shopmobility on its website .

Caroline was a volunteer mentor with Transitions UK on its Attain project which supports vulnerable young people aged 17-22 who are leaving care and need help into work, education and accommodation. What led you to volunteer? Like lots of people, I signed up as a volunteer at the start of the pandemic and have had several roles. When the Volunteer Matching Service approached me about the mentoring role with Transitions UK, I was immediately interested as I am a relationship counsellor with a particular interest in young people. I was matched to the charity in December 2020 and, after an initial interview and training over Zoom, I was matched with a young person at the end of January. The team at Transitions UK were hugely supportive. They facilitated my introductory Zoom meeting with my beneficiary which was all about starting to get to know each other as well as identifying goals which I would help my beneficiary work towards. After that first virtual meeting, I met with my beneficiary regularly for outdoor walks, usually with my puppy which really helped us to connect – thankfully, something we could do even during lockdown. Later on we met for coffee or lunch, and we also touch base a lot via WhatsApp and Instagram. How did the role progress? It is fair to say that although all cases are different, this one was quite unique. It quickly became obvious that the goals identified at our first Zoom meeting could not be addressed without other issues faced by my beneficiary being sorted out first. My beneficiary – let’s call her M – was at that point in her life where she needed to decide whether to continue with her education, start an apprenticeship or find other paid work. Making a decision about what to do next and taking that decision forward were the goals that we originally identified. M firstly decided she’d like to continue her education in conjunction with working and so I helped her identify apprenticeship opportunities, spoke to colleges on her behalf and helped her put together a CV. However, M’s home life was far from settled and she moved from one part of Bucks to another several times in a few short months. She lived with different members of her extended family and was registered with Social Services for other potential care options, including semi-independent living and foster care. This meant it was hard for her to put down roots and make plans. She was also becoming increasingly anxious and her behaviour was erratic. So how did you move things forward? From her perspective, M had had many negative experiences with adults and authority figures which meant she had developed a level of resistance to anyone telling her what to do. I took a different approach. Instead of telling M what to do and how to behave, I worked with M, with social services and her wider family, to help find a permanent solution to her underlying problem: lack of a safe and settled home life. I was her only constant, and by developing a bond of trust with her, it meant that I could be quite effective in helping her. M now has concrete plans for a better future. She will be moving away from the area, and although we’ll no longer be able to meet face to face, and I’ll miss our walks with my puppy, we are both determined to stay in touch. What surprised you about mentoring? I did not expect to be so directly involved with Social Services or M’s wider family. I had no experience in that field and I had to learn as I went along. It was important that I set and maintained boundaries. While I would always keep to commitments I made to M, it was important to remember I’m not her Mum or her social worker. I’m something different, her mentor – helping her find her own way forward and listening and supporting her along the way. What do you gain personally from volunteering? Although I have three teenage children of my own, mentoring M really opened my eyes as to how tough life can be for some young people, through no fault of their own. Getting to know M has taught me that not everyone in the same situation conforms to the same pattern. I feel I made a real difference to M. She knew I was there for her and now she messages me regularly, asks for my opinion and shares news unprompted, which is a real success! What would you say to anyone thinking of volunteering as a mentor? All cases are different – beneficiaries all have different issues and that means different types of mentor(s) are needed. You don’t need any special knowledge or experience, but you do need patience, persistence and understanding. It is important to be open-minded and accepting of the beneficiary. It takes time and commitment but can be so much more rewarding than other types of volunteering.

Dave helps with the charity’s Rest and Reflect programme for NHS and key workers as well as the bereaved. What is Lindengate? Lindengate is a Buckinghamshire-based charity that offers specialised gardening activities to help those with mental health needs in their continuing recovery. It has introduced a ‘Rest and Reflect’ programme to enable NHS workers, keyworkers and anyone dealing with bereavement or struggling with the effects of COVID-19 to benefit from the healing qualities of the Lindengate garden. How did you come to be a volunteer there? I signed up on the Buckinghamshire Council website to be a volunteer as I wanted to give something back – particularly to help the NHS if possible. It was the Volunteer Matching Service which suggested the role as an assistant for Lindengate’s Rest and Reflect programme. I already knew a little bit about Lindengate as in my ‘normal’ life I am the food and beverage manager at a local golf club and the Lady Captain there had chosen Lindengate as her Charity of the Year. I liked the idea that it was going to be outdoors and that it would be helping NHS staff so thought I would give it a go. What was it like when you got there? I was a bit nervous before I started but I needn’t have been. The people there were so welcoming and there’s a lovely atmosphere. It is a very special place to go. How often do you volunteer and is it weather-dependent? I am at Lindengate two afternoons a week, rain or shine. Visitor numbers are not necessarily affected by wet weather, in fact one visiting NHS worker said “she was just grateful to be outside!” How do you help out with the programme? On the gardening side of things, I carry out various tasks such as repotting, weeding and pruning roses. As a Rest and Reflect assistant I am on hand to talk to or listen to visitors as they wish. None of us intrude if people don’t want to talk – some people prefer just to soak up the atmosphere, admiring the gardens or the ponds where the ducks and ducklings are also lovely to watch. What do you gain personally from volunteering? It is amazingly relaxing, even while doing something worthwhile. I have made lots of new friends and improved my knowledge of gardening too. I’ll definitely carry on volunteering beyond the pandemic. Was there anything you found surprising? The thing that really surprised me was how much I enjoyed it and how many lovely people I have met. The Lindengate garden is a hidden gem, a secret garden waiting to be discovered by those who can benefit from its healing effect. Would you recommend volunteering and if so why? Yes. It is a brilliant experience – surprisingly both relaxing and rewarding at the same time 2020