Written by: Chris Cloke, Communities 1st Volunteer
Colin has been a volunteer with Communities 1st for some two and a half years. Once a week he telephones Richard*, who is in his mid-seventies and lives alone. They chat for about an hour, as part of Communities 1st Telephone Befriending Programme. Colin explained to me that “At the start, I identified with Richard what we had in common and that’s what we talk about – football, blues, and rock music, particularly from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. We both know what we’re talking about. Sometimes we talk about world affairs. We clicked over our shared interests.”
“We have no problem finding topics to discuss,” he continued, “and I look forward to our time together. I feel better for it.”
As a volunteer I have time to listen
Colin, in his early seventies and living near St Albans, worked for many years as an Approved Social Worker and counsellor in mental health. During his career, he worked with clients of working age, older people with mental health problems, and people with learning disabilities. The work could be very demanding and challenging but Colin found it rewarding to support clients through their journeys to recovery. On retirement he initially felt a sense of loss and missed the contact he’d had with people. He began volunteering as a counsellor for Mind and later helped with a Mencap friendship scheme. Today, he volunteers with Communities 1st. Colin told me that “I find this allows me to offer more time and support than I had in my work with health and social services.”
Applying my working experience to volunteering
Colin feels a sense of satisfaction from applying the principles to which he worked to his volunteering. It seems to work well for him. “I think setting boundaries is important,” he commented. “That’s why Richard and I agreed early on what we would talk about and how long our calls would last.” He added, “We could both talk for longer about our shared interests, but we’re both happy with the hour.” Colin feels that active listening, respect, and acceptance are important values to use in his conversations with Richard.
“From my social work career, I have always viewed recording and sharing key information as important. In the light of this, I always update my notes on the Volunteers’ Dashboard after my talks with Richard.”
If Colin was worried, he knows who he would talk to. He explained, “I’ve never had to do so, but if ever I’m concerned, I know there are people at Communities 1st I can contact. I know what to do.” From what Colin told me, it seems that the arrangements he has with Richard work well and are beneficial for all involved, Richard, Colin, and also Communities 1st.
We both enjoy our weekly chat
“Oh yes!” Collin reassured me, “We both enjoy our weekly chat. It’s a two-way process. I hope it is empowering for Richard when we recommend music to each other.” Colin gave me another example of certain guitarists and their technical abilities. “This interests me a lot,” he explained, “and Richard is able to explain the differences to me based on his musical knowledge.”
“Furthermore, Richard is a mine of information when it comes to football!” Colin added. “I am a lifelong supporter of Arsenal but Richard is more up to date than I am on developments with the club, even though he supports another team. He takes a close interest in all major football clubs. I enjoy this because it keeps me up to date and on my toes!”
“We laugh a lot,” he continued, “particularly at the transfer of football players coming and going so often!”
Clearly, Richard and Colin learn a lot from each other.
It’s about giving something to the community
Colin, I realised from our discussion, is very committed to volunteering. I felt I didn’t need to ask but, nevertheless, I pressed on and asked Colin why volunteering is important. “Well, for me, I enjoy having a worthwhile role which gives me a sense of purpose. It’s all about giving something back to the community and being able to continue helping and supporting people. From my many years as a social worker – and from what I see today – I know that health and social services are extremely busy. Having more time as a volunteer to listen, I hope I can offer a beneficial service to people like Richard."
Being a volunteer is never a chore
“Talking to Richard and being a volunteer,” he added, “is never a chore for me. It’s a pleasure and a joy. Richard’s knowledge of music, blues and rock is amazing, and I look forward to our chat each week.”
I discovered that Colin has a very busy life. He and his wife, who was a nurse, have two sons, one in Beds and the other in Bucks, so not exactly on the doorstep. Colin and his wife enjoy looking after their three young grandchildren. They also continue volunteering with the friendship scheme for people with learning disabilities. Colin keeps active by going to tai chi and yoga classes, walking, watching football, and listening to music, occasionally going to concerts. Importantly, he also researches matters that he will discuss with Richard in future calls.
Colin worked in the statutory sector all his working life and he has now applied his experience to being a volunteer. As we wound up our discussion, I reflected that while Colin has learnt a huge amount from being a mental health social worker, I imagine the professionals could learn a lot from Colin’s practise as a volunteer.
*Not his real name.