Tim's Story - Dementia Support, DIY and more!
HOW DID YOU GET INTO VOLUNTEERING?
My Mum and Dad were always helping people and I was brought up to help my neighbours from a young age. My first formal volunteering was with Jersey Zoo when I was working on the island. I helped out on a weekend making sure the visitors didn’t feed the monkeys!
When my Mum developed dementia, My Wife and I looked after her and we attended a few groups, I saw how important the volunteers were to keeping the groups running . During that period, I didn’t have time to volunteer, but when Mum went into a care home I had more time for myself and needed something else to keep me busy.
I started volunteering with the British Wireless for the Blind – delivering radios to visually impaired people and helping them set them up.
I also wanted to support people with dementia because I had picked up a lot of skills from helping my Mum and attending the various groups. I went along to a local Dementia network meeting where I met Christine and she suggested I volunteer with the Dementia Support Group at Yorkshire Children’s Centre.
This group which meets on Thursday afternoons is aimed at people of working age who are living with early onset dementia.
At the group we have a good chat and eat a lot of cake! Its lovely spending time with interesting people, and we all have a tale to tell. The other volunteers are brilliant and I was welcomed like a friend. You can see by the end of each session how people have got something out of it and their mood has lifted. We sometimes go out and about, a trip on the canal, or a day at St Annes being the highlights. I don’t want another job, so although I commit to my volunteering it has to fit in with my other activities. An hour or so a week can make an enormous difference to organisations.
I have also started volunteering with The Samaritans – I saw the role advertised on the Volunteering Kirklees website. I support them behind the scenes with the maintenance and upkeep of their Huddersfield call centre and charity shop. I have installed a shower cubicle, put up shelves and made a stand for a hand sanitiser.
HOW HAS YOUR VOLUNTEERING CHANGED DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC?
We can’t currently run the Dementia group sessions, so we are keeping in touch by making regular phone calls to the participants and checking they are getting everything need.
I have now also started telephone befriending along with my wife. On Thursday afternoons I ring four folk for a chat – sometimes it might be a quick hello, or if the conversation starts rolling we could be on the phone for 45 minutes. I have spoken to some incredible people with amazing lives and we have had some very entertaining conversations. People really do appreciate that human contact over the phone, it’s surprising and humbling.
WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER?
Had I not started volunteering, I would be rattling around the house. My job involved travelling a lot so I didn’t build up a large social network. Volunteering enables me to meet people I wouldn’t normally come across in my social circle. I like to use the skills I have, and am also learning new ones all the time. Volunteering keeps me active, it’s good for the body and mind. Volunteering is your own personal choice, you can find something that interests you and try out things you never thought you would do.
For me it’s about the self-satisfaction of being useful. When I go to the Thursday group we have a right good chat and I feel a sense of achievement every week. The most valuable thing you can do is give your time.
If you are thinking of volunteering in Kirklees visit our opportunities page to find something right for you.