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Local Volunteering...
This article is by Nick, a volunteer for the Impetus Neighbourhood Care Scheme...
Ready to share your neighbourly goodwill? Today I picked up Terry from his home, as I do once a week. We collected his prescription from the pharmacy and then drove to a café in Kemptown and enjoyed a pot of exquisite Chinese tea and sumptuous cake. We talked about his Pilates class, his time living in Thailand, his life as a designer, about cataloguing his photographs, documenting his personal history.
He is 81 with poor health and sight, the result of a stroke, and with some mobility issues. The combined effect of these conditions has resulted in him being confined to his flat for long periods. Due to his sight he is unable to watch TV or read and his days can be long and boring which causes him to feel depressed.
When I signed up as a volunteer for Impetus Neighbourhood Care Scheme, it was because I believed I could help make someone’s life a little better.
Giving a couple of hours every few weeks to provide some companionship for a lonely, isolated individual seemed an inconsequential use of my spare time to me and was a way of doing something for the local community.
I had expected to bring some small solace into the life of the person I was assigned to visit. I had not expected to make a difference to someone’s life, neither had I expected to find a friend; “You are the highlight of my week”, “I always look forward to our outings”, “I forget about my problems when I am with you”, “You inspire me to do more” are some of the comments Terry has made about the difference our meetings have made to his life. I have been visiting Terry for over a year now and we meet once a week, rain or shine, to get him out of his home and find somewhere to have tea where he can share, with wit, energy and passion, stories of his fascinating life. As Terry’s senses diminish and his world gets smaller it is a privilege to be able to bring some joy and happiness into his life and I value the opportunity volunteering with Impetus has given me to know and be friends with this charming and interesting man. If, like Nick, you have a spare hour or two every week or fortnight, please contact Impetus on 01273 775 888 or email ncs@bh-impetus.org www.bh-impetus.org Find us on social media @BHImpetus
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