Jim possesses a genuine passion for making a positive impact

Meet Jane, Volunteer at Link Up Club in Knebworth Link Up Club has been going for 40 years and has been providing hot food in the Knebworth Village Hall and since Covid in peoples homes by means of our delivery service. They reduce isolation and promote social inclusion and reduction of loneliness. Hi, my name is Jane Turner and I volunteer for Link Up Club in Knebworth as the Treasurer and I also get involved in helping serve meals to our elderly diners, making tea and coffee after the meal, then helping to put everything away so we leave the Village Hall clean and tidy. My husband and I moved to Knebworth from the West Midlands 2 years ago to live near our grandchildren, who are 4 and 2 (and our daughter and son-in-law of course). I'm 64 years young and love being busy. I knew I wanted to throw myself into village life, so I joined a number of different clubs and associations locally in order to make friends. In September of 2021, Link Up Club was about to relaunch their weekly lunches in the Village Hall, which had been disbanded during Covid and turned into a meal delivery service instead. We decided to go along to sample the food and, being a fair bit younger than most of the diners, we were asked by the Chair if we would like to help out. We've both been volunteering for Link Up Club ever since. It's a great way to get to know new people from around the local area and we feel we are doing our bit for society. Certainly we have plenty of fun with the other volunteers and diners alike, even though it can be pretty full on some weeks when there aren't so many volunteers around to help. The thing about volunteering is that it is a Win-Win situation - the diners get pampered by the volunteers who help to cater to their every need and the volunteers reap their own rewards from seeing the difference they are making by being part of a team helping others . I've seen how volunteering transforms people from being shy and retiring, to really coming out of their shells and growing in confidence. There are so many opportunities to volunteer and even if you only have a small amount of time, there is a group out there who needs your time and skills. Take a step into the unknown, you will be so glad you did! Find out how you can help here https://www.govolherts.org.uk/o/Link-Up-Lunch-Club/opportunities

Meet Roxie, a Volunteer for SADA Survivors Against Domestic Abuse. Roxie Volunteers at the Drop In Service and as DA Forum Vice Chair. Survivors Against Domestic Abuse (SADA) is a service that provides advice, guidance and support to individuals and their families who are or have experienced domestic abuse. The service encourages and empowers victims and survivors to make decisions that are right for them offering crisis intervention, together with client-led support and signposting to other agencies suited to the individual and their own situation Please tell us a little more about yourself and your volunteering work? I began supporting the SADA service as a volunteer creating a Domestic Abuse Drop In Service as well as a Domestic Abuse Forum service for victims and Survivors in the area. This was very well attended and was a life line to many families and single people in Stevenage. It was from this that the service grew and we were able to expand on the support available. It meant a lot to me to see this expansion and growth as I am a Survivor myself and this was important to my journey. What made you decide to start volunteering? Because I am a Survivor and I wanted to make a change. Why would you recommend volunteering to others? It gives you a lot more rewards than you realise. To be able to help others in their situation helped me to move forward with my own. It allowed me an opportunity to grow and to gain all of the skills I have in my job role today.

Meet Kim, a Volunteer at Wimpole Estate. Please tell us more about yourself and your volunteering work When I retired in 2013 I found that I had time on my hands, so I decided to seek out a volunteering role and that’s when I found the National Trust (NT). The NT provided me with an opportunity to get my ‘fix’ of seeing beautiful countryside and the historic houses. I started off as a ‘House Welcomer’, but over time I became a buggy driver, helping at Easter Trails, Christmas Craft Events as well as part of the Conservation Team, where I washed windows, vacuumed floors of a 16 th century house and undertook room surveys. Last year, I moved to Bedfordshire and wanted to continue volunteering, so I transferred to Wimpole Estate where I currently volunteer in Food and Beverage (F&B) section. It is something completely different and was outside my comfort zone. This has provided me an opportunity to work as part of a team with a variety of colleagues who have an age range from teens to sixty plus. I find it keeps me young, chatting with a wide range of age groups. Part of my role at F&B is to clear tables, pot wash, serve food and when time allows chat with the visitors. I have also joined the Events Team which provides me more time with our visitors such as having fun with kids during the Easter Trails and there’s an opportunity for engage my creativity through-out the year. How long have you been a volunteer? I can’t believe that I have been volunteering for the National Trust for nine years the time has gone by in what seems to have been a few seconds. What kind of roles are available in Food & Beverage at Wimpole? The F&B Team allows you to do as little or as much as you want to do. We have volunteers who just clear tables and chat with the visitors. The key roles in F&B are: · clear tables, · wipe tables, · pot washer (in other words washing up), · serve food & drinks, and · talk with our visitors and help them in any way you can. All volunteers have to undertake formal training as part of working within the F&B environment. Some of the volunteers also take on other roles within the Estate such working on the Farm or the Events Team like me. Why did you decide to start volunteering? People choose to ‘volunteer’ for a variety of reasons. For some it offers the chance to give something back to the community or make a difference to the people around them. For others it provides an opportunity to develop new skills or build on existing experiences and knowledge. For me, it was to meet people, to stop feeling so isolated when I retired and I really get a buzz from team working. The sense of belonging to organisation such as the NT is special. They support you and make you feel part of their team, with staff and volunteers all working towards a common goal and of course, it is great to work at properties which I have grown to love, in environments which are beautiful. Why would you recommend volunteering to others? So, I would say if you have any time free and would like to meet people and use your skills or even gain some new skills, at the same time giving something back to the community do consider volunteering, it is great fun. Come and check out what the Wimpole Estate can offer you as a volunteer. Just find a role that you are passionate about or something that inspires you. There are dozens of reasons to volunteer; you just need to find the one that feels good for you.