"Sue Ryder Stagenhoe was like our home, we were one big family"

Meet Phoebe Coles, Volunteering Coordinator at Guide Dogs (Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Essex- including Redbridge & Welwyn) Did your journey to working for Guide Dogs begin as a volunteer? If so, how? I was heavily involved in volunteering prior to joining Guide Dogs, but not as a Guide Dogs volunteer. I volunteered previously in Cyprus, leading on projects focusing on women’s rights and refugee rights issues. My interest in working for Guide Dogs started during an internship at the UK Parliament when I joined a Guide Dogs campaigns event about safe pavements. From that day, I researched more about the charity and the rest is history! What is the thing you enjoy the most about working as a Volunteer Manager & why? I find it incredibly rewarding supporting volunteers, the thing I enjoy the most is helping volunteers feel that they are a part of a community and less isolated. Volunteering is a great way to help people feel involved with community action, but it is also beneficial for mental health too. This Volunteers Week marks me being with Guide Dogs for one year, and it has flown by. I am so honored to work for such an incredible charity with brilliant and enthusiastic volunteers and staff. If you are interested in joining our Guide Dogs family, please check out our website and search for volunteer roles in your area: https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/ . No matter your background, skills, and interests, there is something for everyone! Why not join our Virtual Volunteer Fair on 22nd January to learn more about the impact of volunteering? Sign up here .

Meet Opal Reid, Volunteer at North Herts & Stevenage CVS - GoVolHerts and Community Transport I am an Admin Support Volunteer for two NHCVS Projects - GoVolHerts and Community Transport. When I retired my plan was to do some volunteer work, with a different focus to my old role or to use those skills to help a not for profit organisation. Then the pandemic happened which gave me time to research and find something that was interesting as well as giving me some new skills. Making a difference is something we can all do by being open to supporting the needs of the organisation you work with. Volunteering is not only about giving your time but about what you want to gain from the experience, which for me was giving something back and gaining new skills that can be used in other areas of my life. I am very lucky working with Katie and Jon and being part of such an inclusive organisation as NHCVS"

Meet Jenny, volunteer for Penniwells Riding for the Disabled and Garden Manager at the Random Cafe. What volunteer role do you do and w hy did you start volunteering? Currently I volunteer for Penniwells Riding for the Disabled and i am the volunteer garden manager at the Random Cafe. My first experience of volunteering was through my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award age 15. I started volunteering with Riding for the Disabled in 2010 as a way to start leaving the house following a period of agoraphobia and anorexia. I have found a Riding for the Disabled Group wherever I have been staying/living in the country since then. Penniwells Riding for the Disabled is my 4 th group. I joined them while I was in a mental health hospital nearby. It helped me with my mental health recovery and gave be a reason to work towards keeping my leave from the unit each week. It was also the reason I stayed in the area when I was discharged from hospital. How you make a difference? In my current roles I am able to help care for the horses and ensure they are ready for our riders. I then help support the riders during their lessons whether that be so they can benefit for their mental health, physical health or both. Some riders require a team of three volunteers per lesson to assist them. Some of the extra events and competitions require extra help, whether it be costume making in advance or an extra pair of hands on the day. At the Random Cafe I manage a team of volunteers who assist me in keeping the gardens tidy and organised so we can grow plants and crops to sell to raise funds that go back into the project. I also build garden items such as planters out of reclaimed wood, which are also sold to fund the project. Not only is this saving materials from landfill but it is encouraging others to grow their own to help the environment. Why would you recommend volunteering to others? I sometimes feel slightly selfish in why I volunteer because although it does help benefit other individuals and the community as a whole, I know how much it has increased my confidence and helped keep my mental health well and more stable. I think often people feel that they don't have any qualifications or skills to offer, but often that's not what is needed. It is simply time and willingness to try that is appreciated. There are two mottos I think volunteering sits well with; firstly the RDA motto "Its what you can do that counts" and secondly Tescos "Every little helps"