Young Volunteer Programme a Huge Success

As the second cohort of volunteers from Plymstock School approach the end of their volunteering programme with Age UK Plymouth, the huge success of the scheme has been rolled out into another secondary school with the first group of 16-18 year old students from Lipson Co-operative Academy about to start their volunteering at The William and Patricia Venton Centre in Mount Gould.

The first group of students from Plymstock School who completed their volunteering at the Age UK Plymouth Dementia Day Centre based Memory Lane in Plymstock have found the experience invaluable and has given them the ability to demonstrate proactivity, empathy and an ability to work as part of a team. Volunteering has also provided an opportunity to learn, develop and showcase skills, improve confidence and equip these young people with knowledge and experience.

A-level student Isabella who has chosen to continue volunteering at the Dementia Day Centre said, "It's been an amazing experience being able to work with such great people. I really enjoyed my time and look forward to continuing this journey with Age UK Plymouth."

The initial trail and subsequent first round of the programme were both a huge success with almost 100% of volunteers choosing to stay with the charity after their six weeks of volunteering, and there’s certainly a pattern emerging as the second round of Plymstock School volunteers are almost all electing to stay. “It’s been really incredible to see the dedication from these young people,” said Day Centres Manager at Age UK Plymouth, Tracy Walker. “Our Dementia Day Centre is a really wonderful place to be, it can be challenging at times but all of our volunteers experience the sense of joy that we foster with our clients and that is an invaluable experience for our young volunteers.”

Plymstock student Ewan has been grateful for the welcoming and inclusive spirit at Age UK Plymouth: “In my own personal experience of Age UK at the Dementia Day Centre, I have started to build new relationships with a wide variety of people, in what was previously unfamiliar environment. Both the staff, volunteers and clients were so welcoming and kind, and allowed me to give my time and attention to not only listen to people, but to grow as an overall person too.”

Young volunteer Ruby also believes she has benefitted from the experience she has gained through her time volunteering, and looks forward to continuing to work with the charity, “I have loved getting to know the clients and staff and having fun with the team. I have gained lots of experience with more elderly people and I feel this has really benefitted me”

Wendy Snook, Volunteer Coordinator for Age UK Plymouth has worked closely with the students from the interview process through their integration into the teams, “We’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm of all the volunteers from Plymstock School. The level of commitment has been a real testament to these young people and we’re looking forward to working with our first cohort of students from Lipson Co-operative Academy at our Mount Gould Day Centre.”

“We are delighted to be working with Age UK Plymouth to give some of our students the opportunity to volunteer within the local community and for such a good cause,” said Miss Monelle, Head of Sixth Form at Plymstock School. “It is another way that our students can show the compassion and goodwill that so many of them have, their willingness to help others always astonishes us during such a busy time in their studies. We have already had a great response to the programme and we are hoping this can be a link with the local community for many years to come.”

Age UK Plymouth has a strong sense of partnership, frequently working with local organisations to bring services, projects and volunteers together. “Cohesion in the community is fundamental to what we do,” said Head of Fundraising, Tara Dale.  “We’re a local charity serving people within our city and we’re extremely fortunate to be able to connect with many other organisations, businesses and charities who also see the importance of community. It’s been a really uplifting experience to work on this project which has seen young people able to develop and gain practical and transferable skills such as, working as part of a team, communication, self-motivation, organisation, time management and initiative. But credit where credit is due, these students have been outstanding, a real pleasure to work with.”

Age UK Plymouth Support Worker Caitlin began volunteering with the charity whilst still studying for her A-Levels and was recruited by the charity at the Dementia Day Centre. “During my time as a volunteer I was able to improve my confidence as I was an extremely shy person,” said Caitlin. “I developed a new sense of responsibility because I wanted to ensure that clients were able to enjoy their day. The Day Centre contains an incredible group of staff members and volunteers who are all kind-hearted individuals. We all share the same morals and passion surrounding dementia awareness and advocating for vulnerable people, which means that we all work together amazingly and are able to better support clients.”

Like many charities Age UK Plymouth relies on volunteers to help offer vital services in the local community. There are a wide range of volunteering opportunities available with the organisation as CEO David Wood explains; “Age UK Plymouth are committed to making our city a community where people Love Later Life. As the need for our services grow, so does the need for volunteers. People may be surprised by how many different ways there are to give their time and skills. In our day centres our clients enjoy listening to live music, we hold events throughout the year that need to be marshalled or photographed, volunteers support our catering and admin teams, the list is as varied as it is long!”