This week we are celebrating volunteer week! At the partnership, we believe volunteering can bring something special to your life. You can find out more about volunteering roles in Edinburgh at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/volunteer/volunteer-social-care or by emailing socialcarevolunteers@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Interested in volunteering? Hear first hand from two volunteers on their personal experience volunteering:
Volunteer 1:
‘I decided to volunteer as I wanted to do something different from my day-to-day job. I’ve been supporting M for almost 6 years now. It has been such a rewarding and joyful experience and we have now become really good friends!
For the first few years our sessions have included lots of different outings: walks, cafes, shops. Over the last 2 years, M’s health has been deteriorating so, these days, we mostly stay at her house chatting, playing cards, and eating cakes! We always have a good laugh and we both enjoy these visits. It’s good to know that M’s son, who is her main carer, also benefits from these visits. He can go out for couple of hours without worrying about his mum.’
Volunteer 2:
‘I’ve been thinking about volunteering for quite some time but I just couldn’t find the right role. Then I came across the advert about ‘gardener buddy’ and I thought that this sounds like something I would enjoy.
I’ve been working with J for just over a year now. I visit him every 2-3 weeks, depending on the weather and time of the year. He loves his garden but hasn’t been able to look after it due to his health.
Most sessions we are both out in his garden doing different gardening jobs. If the weather is not great, then we spend a bit of time in the garden and then we just chat and have tea inside. It’s amazing to see the garden changing and looking beautiful again. J has so many beautiful plants! And it’s really lovely seeing J being happy with all that work and being able to enjoy his garden again’