Improving older life through volunteering

Desiree Harris and Diana Grey are sisters-in-law. For the past 18 months they have been volunteering together at the Over 60s Tearoom in Thornbury Town Hall.

Desiree was the first to join. Before her retirement she started volunteering as a collator with Thornbury Magazine but afterwards she found she still had spare time she would like to fill. She called at our office to find out what else was available and we put her in touch with the Tearoom. She now helps there once or twice a month. She has also recently begun volunteering at Oldbury Community Shop.

Diana is also retired and like Desiree she wanted to do something productive to fill her spare time. Her sister-in-law’s experience encouraged her to think of volunteering: “Desiree was already helping at the Tearoom and she seemed to enjoy meeting and chatting to the customers so it just seemed like a sociable thing to do”. She, too, came to us and we were very happy to recommend her to the Tearoom.

Whilst initially they volunteered separately, they soon discovered that they enjoyed it more if they did so together.

The moral of this story is that for retired people who miss the company of other people, volunteering can be fun. It’s also useful and helps the local community. As Desiree said of working at the Tearoom, “It makes you feel that you have achieved something, it’s company for the customers and for us and it just makes you feel good”.