Volunteer for a local charity.

“I was paired with another older person, a wonderful lady who was unable to get out and about easily and was therefore very isolated. I visited her weekly, and we chatted over a cup of tea about her travels (she’s been all over, from Morocco to New Zealand) and we looked at photos, watched TV and had a good gossip. After a spell in hospital, she was moved to a care home, but fortunately it was close enough for me to visit and I have been visiting there ever since. [...] The volunteering I do is truly a highlight of my week, and forming a friendship with an older person in Sheffield has connected me with the local community and humbled me also.”

“The process involved an informal meeting at the centre to ascertain my motivations and experiences to see if volunteering there would be right for me. I was made at ease by how friendly the staff and service-users were, and it really felt like a mutually supportive environment. In the weeks before university started, I spent a few days a week in the classrooms in order to gain a greater appreciation for the work they do, and then started working every Friday as a volunteer receptionist. What I really enjoy about working at Learn for Life is the variety of roles I am able to perform. The reception desk is often the first point of contact for many service-users, and the role often involves answering the phone, registering students, and making appointments for the range of services we provide.”

“I volunteered at a large animal rescue (horses, cows, goats, sheep, alpacas, etc) for about 8 years, until my teen daughter got critically ill in 2018 and spent 6 months in the hospital. I got into it because my daughter and I walked down the river path next to our house to the small shopping village where they had just opened the petting zoo (to help pay for feed and vet care) that day. We both hit it off with the owner, and helped out on a daily basis, until we couldn't any longer.”