It’s Volunteers’ Week 2016! Over 21 million people volunteer in the UK at least once a year and this contributes an estimated £23.9bn to the UK economy. Behind these big numbers is a big contribution.
The theme of Volunteers’ Week 2016 is “The Big Celebration”, so each day Community Action Suffolk is celebrating some of Suffolk’s amazing volunteers and the organisations they support.
Lisa is a community transport driver, here’s her story…
“To be perfectly honest it is these people – the volunteers, the staff & the clients of BACT (Beccles & Bungay Area Community Transport) that keep me grounded, appreciating life for what it is – life is what you make it, enjoy every day even the bad ones.
In our day to day lives we hear so much negativity – discontent with personal situations, dis-satisfaction with working conditions or authority based decisions, about the unfairness of life and how someone always has more of something than is deemed right. Sometimes it feels like we are incapable of feeling happy for someone else’s good fortune and must feel only bitterness and resentment at any cost.
However…
Friday morning rolls around – myself and my driver board the Door to door / Dial-a-ride bus service, set off to collect a dozen or so sixty, seventy & eighty some-things and go shopping! This merry band climb onto the bus with a smile, chatter excitedly about their week, their family as well as all the stories that their collective years have achieved and let me assure you that between them, there is not much that hasn’t been had, heard, seen or done!!
What you also hear and feel is a love of human companionship, friendliness, compassion for each other and a gratitude that there are people out there that care enough to come out and take them to where they want to go and ensure their safe passage.
An appreciation that there is a service laid on for them for the sole purpose of enabling them to help themselves to stay as active and independent as possible.
What do I do as a volunteer?
Get on a bus and carry a bag of groceries or two to the back door or even the kitchen. Not exactly hard work – huh?”
Are you inspired to volunteer? Maybe you’re looking for more volunteers? Find out how CAS can help by exploring the “Volunteering and social action” section of this website (see the menu at the top of the page).
You can contact the CAS Volunteering Team on 01473 345400 or [email protected].uk