Our Campaigns and Grants Manager Helen Brown also volunteers with Beacon as a Telephone Befriender.
Find out more about Volunteering at Beacon
“Volunteering has long been on my to-do list.
I’ll admit it was fairly low down though, between my job and four kids at home, there’s normally plenty going on to keep me busy.
Then last year, when I was helping to promote our befriending service as we needed more volunteers to call people at risk of loneliness, I found myself agreeing to give it a go.
As I was able to make the call from home and with it taking no more than half an hour a week, I thought if ever there’s a volunteer opportunity I can make work, this is it.
Eight months later, it’s one of the highlights of my week. I knew I could be helping someone else by signing up, but I had no idea what it would do for me.
The sense of satisfaction I get in knowing that my time is appreciated and that it helps someone else feel a little less alone would make it worthwhile on its own.
However, the gentleman I ring is a delight, as interested in my life as I am in his, and it’s been an unexpected friendship that does my own wellbeing no end of good.
If you have got a busy life, finding the time to help others can be hard, when you feel like you often don’t have the time to help yourself, but it is so worth it and when you think about it, we’ve all got a spare hour that could be put to better use.
How much time do you spend scrolling through your phone or perhaps just watching TV? Why not put your downtime to good use, for both yourself and others in the community by becoming a volunteer?”