KAREN'S STORY
HOW DID YOU START VOLUNTEERING?
I started volunteering with the Community Connections befriending scheme about 7 years ago. I worked for Sainsburys and our charity of the year was a Rest Home in the Brighouse area – I got involved by visiting the home with small gifts that staff had donated and realised what a difference we were making to the residents who were lonely. So when I saw the Befriender Volunteer role pop up on facebook I thought I would give it a go and applied. After I had undertaken the training and my criminal record check came through, Christine the Co-ordinator matched me to someone from their waiting list who was lonely and isolated, and we were introduced.
WHAT DO YOU DO AS A BEFRIENDER?
As a Befriender I usually visit someone in their own home for a cup of tea and a chat. Christine is really good at matching people to someone they will get along with. People are lonely and isolated for a number of reasons, usually because they can’t get out the house and they may have no family or friends nearby. I have been matched to 5 different people since I started volunteering, and I have also volunteering in a Care Home running a reading group. As time goes on you become good friends and I was very sad when a lady I visited for 4 years passed away, but I am pleased to say I am still in contact with her family.
HOW HAS YOUR ROLE CHANGED DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS?
I have recently been matched with two elderly ladies who are missing the social interaction with people due to the Coronavirus. Even if people have someone doing their shopping for them, this has to be left on the doorstep and people aren’t able to enter the home. We offer a regular telephone call; I ring them once a week for about 45 minutes. We chat about all sort of things – for example, one lady likes talking about food and telling me what she is having for tea! We just have a good chat as you would talk to your own Gran. One lady told me I rang just at the right time as she was going to bed as she felt she had nothing to stay up for, so she was so grateful that I had ring. I also check on their welfare, that they have everything they need, shopping and prescriptions etc.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR VOLUNTEER ROLE?
I enjoy seeing the difference I make – you don’t realise what an impact you have on someone’s life who is lonely. A simple 20 minute chat is sometimes all that is needed and can be so rewarding. You can give as little or as much as you want. I am a single mum and I work, but I can still fit volunteering in around my week.
I love that I am make a huge difference by giving a small amount of my time. Betty who I have been telephoning, used to volunteer as a befriender herself, and visited 6 people a week! Now she is able to benefit from having her own befriender. I have formed long term friendships with the people I have met in my befriending role.
You can find out more about becoming a Community Connections Befriender here.