This week is National Volunteers’ Week (June 1st – 7th), our opportunity to celebrate all the volunteering that’s happening around the country.
In purely monetary terms, volunteering is worth approximately £22.6 billion to the UK’s economy but in personal, community and social terms, it’s invaluable.
Who volunteers? Anyone and everyone! 38% of people do formal volunteering at least once a year and many more do the informal things that make our communities better places to live. All the small acts of kindness and thoughtfulness, such as picking up litter, shopping for a neighbour, giving a friend a lift to hospital or walking dogs at a local animal shelter, all help to make life more pleasant, healthy, and productive for everyone.
Berwickshire Housing Association’s Lottery funded BeFriend project, can offer you a way to get involved in volunteering.
BHA BeFriend is a befriending project aimed at older people who live in Berwickshire or Kelso and its aim is to offer companionship to people who are experiencing loneliness and isolation.
BHA BeFriend has a number of volunteering roles on offer. For example, volunteer drivers offer lifts to older people, helping them to get to our groups or to events. In order to be a driver, you need access to your own transport but your expenses will be reimbursed.
Group volunteers also help out with entertainment, making refreshments, and chatting to the people who come along to the groups. By contrast, one-to-one befrienders visit people in their own homes, perhaps go out with people, if they can, and provide them with support and companionship.
Could you help BHA BeFriend get older people out and about, help them to feel less isolated, and help them to feel part of the community once more? Contact BeFriend by calling 01361 884000 or emailing info@berwickshirehousing.org.uk. You can also find them on Twitter @BHA_BeFriend or Facebook BHABeFriend.