Volunteer spotlight on Terry

To mark Volunteers’ Week this year, we’ve been interviewing some of our wonderful volunteers to find out more about why they volunteer for Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin.

Although Volunteers’ Week ended on Sunday, we’ve still got some wonderful stories that we want to share with you. Today, it’s Terry, a volunteer Befriender.

‘Having looked after a very good friend of mine in her last three years with dementia, the Admiral Nurse who had been appointed to look after my welfare during that time, said that she felt I might like to volunteer with Age UK Shropshire Telford and Wrekin, so I went to the their office and introduced myself.’

‘When I first met my client it only took a few minutes of chatting to realise we were going to get along just fine.’

‘This lady is basically house bound and so my visits are her only option to be able to be taken out. She loves to go to garden centres and she has taught me a great deal about gardening. We talk about anything and everything and the time passes so quickly. I find it very satisfying to be able to help with someone's life, even in a small way.’

‘As a Befriender you can offer your time to help just one person or multiple people depending on the time you are able to give. I have found all the staff at Age UK Shropshire Telford and Wrekin are always very helpful and supportive.’

And what does Terry’s client think of it all? ‘Terry has really made a lot of difference to me and his visits have really helped my mental health,’ she said. ‘He’s a very nice person.’

Volunteers’ Week is an opportunity to celebrate volunteers and to thank them for the amazing work they do. If you’d like to find out more about volunteering for Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin, call us on 01743 233 123 or email volunteering@ageukstw.org.uk