Linda* is a busy volunteer who has contributed to several areas of Communities 1st work. She is involved in shopping, has supported Afghan refugees, and been a telephone befriender. When I called, she was having work carried out on her home. The loud banging disturbed her dog, Spot, who retaliated with loud barking. Amidst the “noises off,” I soon recognise that Linda is quite a private person. In this blog, she didn’t want me to use her real name. I think she felt that what she did was nothing particularly special.

Linda* is a busy volunteer who has contributed to several areas of Communities 1st work. She is involved in shopping, has supported Afghan refugees, and been a telephone befriender. When I called, she was having work carried out on her home. The loud banging disturbed her dog, Spot, who retaliated with loud barking. Amidst the “noises off,” I soon recognise that Linda is quite a private person. In this blog, she didn’t want me to use her real name. I think she felt that what she did was nothing particularly special.

Robin Cattle, in his sixties and living in Welwyn Garden City, is a volunteer driver. For over thirty years, he sat behind a desk when he worked in banking. Now that he has retired, he has decided that he wants to do practical tasks. He told me that “in my early life, practical skills did not come naturally.” However, he has discovered that being a volunteer provides lots of opportunities to broaden his experience – and to be practical.