This week is Volunteers' Week (2-8th June 2025)

I have done various types of voluntary work over the years. I don’t want to sound like a right “do-gooder” because I’m not. I think it was instilled in me by my lovely Mum and Dad.

From a very young age, I would go to the hospital where my Dad worked and “help” the nurses. They gave me a nurses hat (showing my age) and a disposable apron and I would hand out the drinks to the elderly patients. I loved every minute. I got to spend time with my Dad and would sit in his office pretending to be very busy writing things in a book. We would eat a full fry up at the canteen that had been cooked with love on site. (The word “nurse” originates from the Latin “nutrire” which means “to nourish” – one fo my favourite words.)

As his career progressed, and I became a young teenager, I continued volunteering in the school holidays. By then, elderly care had progressed and there was a recreation unit where there was music therapy and art therapy. I travelled to Lourdes with them on a pilgrimage and went to endless fundraisers so a cottage could be built so that these amazing men and women could go on short breaks in Wales – away from the hospital environment.

My Mums volunteer work was rooted in her faith and she worked tirelessly in the church. She was a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Their motto is “turning concern into action”. She would visit the sick, feed the homeless and look after the poor….and she had a wonderful knack of getting us all involved. This often found us doing the BBQ at the church fayre and taxiing her round to do her sick visits. She did this from a place of love and faith.

So what else did it bring?

• Volunteering gave me the opportunity to look after children in Croatia.

• I got to travel round Mississippi and Louisiana promoting the North West.

• I became a Cadet Instructor for the Fire Brigade working with teenagers in Manchester.

• It looks great on a CV – but you’d find it hard to do it if your heart wasn’t in it….

• I learnt how to talk with people that were from different backgrounds, different eras and to enjoy their company

• It made me realise that people need people – belonging to a community is important

• It’s good for your mental health – giving something back makes us feel better in ourselves.

• It has brought friendship – moving to a new place in your 50’s can be quite daunting and making friends can be hard – that’s one of the reasons we set up Hive Nights at The Dispensary – check out the photos and the videos

If you have considered volunteering, take a look at some opportunities here.