We’re rounding off Volunteers Week 24 with a blog about volunteering with Friends Altogether in Rother. Because volunteering for a community-based, grassroots charity is more than just giving your time—it’s about making meaningful connections, sharing moments of joy, and making a difference to someone’s life.
As a volunteer, you have the unique opportunity to build positive and meaningful relationships irrespective of age, background, and circumstance. And although we’re working hard to develop our charity’s services and community activities, we can’t do any of it without the support of our wonderful volunteers.
Here’s a glimpse into what some of our volunteering activities involve – and the impact they make:
Volunteering at our Tilling, Tea and Cake event
Our Tilling, Tea and Cake event is a monthly meet-up where our staff and volunteers make connections with community members. Every session as a volunteer at Tilling, Tea and Cake begins with a sense of purpose. We’re so lucky to be able to use the fabulous Tilling Green Community Centre, as this means we have several rooms we can use for group and 1:1 activities, as well as a whole room to set up for refreshments! Our volunteers get involved right from the off, from helping to set up the rooms, organise facilities and refreshments, help accommodate visiting services and ensure that everything runs smoothly as our community visitors arrive.
Volunteering as a Befriender
Our telephone befriending service will be starting soon and we are actively recruiting volunteer befrienders at the moment. So your volunteering week might include making calls to several different community members who feel isolated, offering companionship, making a difference to their day and offering them something to look forward to.
The impact of befriending
Befriending brings many positive effects ~ for those we befriend, it’s often a lifeline, an antidote to loneliness and a boost to mental health. For volunteers, the rewards are equally profound, both from interacting with our service users and from being involved with other volunteers – knowing you’ve brightened someone’s day and made a difference can be incredibly fulfilling.
Together, we can create a community where no one feels alone, just contact us to find out more.
