Mary and Eve's Story

Friends Mary and Eve met at an event held last Christmas as part of a project between Age UK Norwich and Home Instead, called Be a Santa to a Senior. 

The project involved the collection, wrapping and delivering of over 100 presents to some of the most isolated older people in the Norwich area, who might not have otherwise had anything to open on Christmas Day.

The two have formed a firm friendship since wrapping Christmas gifts together but emphasise this is just the cherry on top of many good things that come from their volunteering experiences.

Mary is a Befriending Volunteer for Age UK Norwich, which provides numerous older people with vital companionship, both over the phone and in person. Eve supports Age UK Norwich with the send-out of its Activity Plans, so that service users can stay well informed on all the latest events and social clubs that are taking place that month.

Eve says of her involvement in Be A Santa to a Senior: “I have experienced loneliness and wanted to help lonely people at Christmas. People’s welfare has always been important to me and I think it’s important for lonely people to know they are not forgotten - they are loved and respected.”

Mary says the impact of such initiatives “is nourishing, like food. You always value that one person who remembers to drop you a text, call, or pop in to see how you’re getting on. It’s a small gesture but it goes such a long way.”

Because the event they took part in – joining 24 other volunteers to wrap gifts for older people in the community, including hats, scarves, gloves, food treats and bath products - was a one off, it opened the door for new volunteers at a time when more people feel the urge to give something back. But once they got involved and felt the spirit in the room, they realised they wanted to do more. Mary puts it like this: “Volunteering is like a waterfall in the way it just keeps flowing.”

If you are on your own, she adds: “There’s a temptation not to bother treating yourself - even at Christmas. But it’s important to have something special, something new. It’s a lift. Everyone deserves a bit of looking after at this time of the year.”

And the presents couldn’t have been more appreciated. One recipient said “This is the only gift I’ll receive this year, so I will put it under the tree until Christmas Day”. Another said: “It’s been such a long time since I received a gift at Christmas - thank you so much to Age UK Norwich.”

As for ways they gain from volunteering, Eve and Mary agree that since stopping work they miss being around people of different age groups, each of which brings so much to the table in any environment, with different people coming together to offer insights and suggestions. That’s just one of the benefits volunteering allows them to enjoy.

Would they recommend volunteering? Mary and Eve say: “A thousand times, yes.” Mary adds: “It can feel as if you are out on a limb if you haven’t got anyone around you. It’s a really dark time. But volunteering can help bring the spark back to people’s lives - and it helps you more than you know too.”