Your Health Choices West Midlands Senior Special | Page 32

READER’S story: Betty 81 year old Betty from Hall Green volunteers twice a week at her local church in Shirley. Originally, she only stepped in to help as a ‘meet and greet receptionist’ when another member of staff let them down. This led to a routine involvement, which 15 years later Betty says ‘always gives her something to look forward to’. We asked Betty about her experience and what she likes best about being a volunteer. How often do you work at the church Betty and what do you do there? Did you have any concerns before taking the role? BETTY Twice a week, for 2 hours on a Wednesday, and 1.5 hours on a Saturday. I welcome people who come into the church. We have people that come for a coffee, to services, or even just for a chat. on a Sunday because I thought if I was a church volunteer I would have to go to the service instead. It turned out that I could go to the Wednesday service as an alternative and not miss out on seeing my grandchildren. What do you enjoy most about volunteering? Would you recommend volunteering to other people like yourself? BETTY I’ve met some lovely people, and it enriches my life. We laugh a lot. It’s important to laugh! Having been there for quite a while there are even some people that come especially to see me which makes me feel honoured. I also enjoy meeting a wide variety of people that I might not have the chance to meet if I wasn’t a volunteer. I keep in contact with a lot of them too. That’s what keeps me going! BETTY I was worried about missing out on family time BETTY Oh yes absolutely. There’s no point in sitting around and being lazy in old age. People make the world go round! “What would life be like if it wasn’t for the people around you?” COMMUNITEA IS GROWING! we need your support.... Trusted partner Communitea will provide a relaxing environment for socialising as found in traditional tea rooms but with a contemporary twist. With a kitchen, serving counter, a meeting room and adaptable cafe/social space we will aim to complement the needs of the community and to improve wellbeing through social innovation. We are looking for volunteer community coordinators/volunteers to support the development of our project. We are particularly interested in hearing from artists, cooks, social media whizzes and community groups. If you would like to hear more about this project, share ideas and/or to get involved, please call 0121 362 3650, or email [email protected] health choices Your 33