Volunteer stories

At Time to Talk Befriending we are committed to making sure that no older person feels forgotten or alone. Every day we support older people through one-to-one befriending, group activities, chaplaincy, intergenerational projects and vital wellbeing checks. Volunteers are the heartbeat of our charity. As one volunteer beautifully put it, “I’ve volunteered at a number of charities and I have never been made to feel so appreciated as I do with you… I love being part of the community.” Their generosity is what makes connection possible.

Across our services, volunteers offer companionship, visit people at home, support events, help run dementia-inclusive activities, and provide care for those facing end of life. They are often the only regular social visitor an older person has. One scheme member shared, “She charges my batteries when she comes, and I keep going for another week.” This is the difference volunteers make.

Before using the Volunteer Centre and its online platform, we were experiencing the same challenges that many charities supporting older people now face. Demand for our service had risen, complexity had increased, and volunteer recruitment in certain areas had slowed. Reaching new volunteers in our ‘cold spot’ areas, such as Adur and Worthing, required more time and investment than our small team could manage alone.

We use the Volunteer Centre because we need a partner who understands the local landscape and can help us reach compassionate people who might never have heard of us before. The platform is easy to navigate, and the team offer personal support, encouragement and advice if needed.

We have used the Volunteer Centre to promote our one to one befriender roles. The platform has had a significant impact on our recruitment. It has broadened our reach, attracted volunteers from new areas and helped us match older people with volunteers who share their interests, values and personality. As one scheme member said about their volunteer, “It was the best thing you could ever have done for me.”

We estimate that around one quarter of our new volunteer enquiries come through the Volunteer Centre. These volunteers are not only committed but deeply aligned with the heart of our charity. Many of them tell us that they gain as much as they give. “Lovely to have a friend from a different generation,” one volunteer shared. Another told us, “Volunteering is a mutually beneficial experience.”

The support we have received has been excellent. The team is responsive, knowledgeable and genuinely committed to strengthening volunteering in our local area. They champion our work and always treat us with warmth and respect.

Absolutely.

We would wholeheartedly recommend the Volunteer Centre and online platform to any organisation seeking to grow meaningful volunteering. It saves time, widens reach and helps you connect with people who genuinely want to make a difference. For us, this partnership has helped us continue overcoming loneliness with compassion and excellence.

The strongest reason we value our volunteers comes from the voices of those we serve:

• “You make us feel very special in a world where we are often forgotten.”
• “Without my befriender, I would not see anyone except my carer.”
• “She (befriender) is a ray of sunshine.”

Our volunteers transform lives. And thanks to the Volunteer Centre, new volunteers come forward to help us make sure that every older person feels seen, heard and valued.

Sight Support Worthing involves volunteers in the running of our charity on a daily basis.  They will be there for member support, from being a sighted guide for a person with a vision impairment when out and about, driving people to medical appointments, making a phone call to check in with someone or providing refreshments in our centre for events.  

Volunteering has always been part of my life, and that certainly attracted me to working within the charity sector in the role as Volunteer Coordinator.  Volunteering is more than just doing a good deed; it is a lifestyle.  It is a two-way deal, and people who choose to volunteer are caring, open-minded, compassionate, and active members of the community.  I love spending time with people who choose this lifestyle! 

Volunteers are the beating heart of our charity.  They allow us to provide all the important services to our members and reach out to new people who do not know we are here.  They enable us to make sure that any funding or donations we receive can go straight into the charity to benefit our members and help as many people as possible who are living with a visual impairment. 

That it does not take much to make a difference, but that difference can mean the whole world to someone and really impact their life in a positive way.  

I started volunteering with Pelican Parcels after I saw the amazing work the charity does for the families I refer in my paid job as a Health Visitor. I wanted to give back to this wonderful charity and to say thank you on behalf of the families I’ve worked with who have benefited from their generosity.

I love the satisfaction of putting together parcels for children knowing how incredibly life changing they are, giving to families in desperate need of support. And I have fallen in love with the amazing Pelican Parcels team – they have the biggest hearts imaginable. 

Definitely choosing Christmas presents the last few years. I have the enviable task of being able to deliver the presents to families and seeing their priceless reactions. I feel so privileged! 

All you need is a good heart, a smile and a sense of humour; there is a lot of laughing in the warehouse!

I joined Sussex Interpreting Services as a social prescribing volunteer about 18 months ago.  I wanted to help those who could only speak my language when they move to the UK. I also believe that getting involved in volunteering work can help me to have a better understanding of and integration into the community where I am. 

I have been matched with around 10 service users so far.  Most of their queries could be solved in a short time, while some can take several months or even over a year. I help by translating letters, booking GP appointments, or navigating different kinds of public services like the DWP.

Not only are the service users feeling grateful, but also these were rewarding experiences to me. I know more about how different departments work or what local services are available.  Most important is when service users share their stories and the struggles that they had been facing; these are valuable interactions between humans. People feel they are cared for and get peace of mind as they could always ask for help from SIS.