Volunteering in a Pandemic
We’re delighted to hear from one of our wonderful volunteers - Toni Trathen! She shares her experiences of joining our volunteer family during the pandemic.
In 2019 I listened to friends connected with The Link Visiting Scheme talking about afternoon teas with fun and games, pie and pint evenings and visiting their Link Friends for a chat and cup of tea. I thought about my dad who would have loved someone to become his ‘friend’ after my mum died, to go walking with him and listen patiently to his ‘dementia’ ramblings. I am scarily very similar to my dear dad in many ways.
I applied to The Link, enjoyed my interview with Karan, attended Safeguarding Training, obtained my DBS, all set to go and ……. coronavirus!
While face-to-face befriending was on hold, I became a Telephone Buddy! I have 5 telephone friends, all very different but all so interesting. I really enjoy chatting with them and I chuckle when they phone me because they missed a call and their first question is ‘Are you OK?’
That is so typical of The Link Visiting Team - EVERYONE cares. It comes from the top and filters down through managers, staff, coordinators, volunteers and Link Friends. There are so many positive people involved. At the moment the staff are organising coffee mornings for volunteers to have a chat and brainstorm ideas to improve the service. We can access The Link newsletter with crosswords and challenges which gives us another talking point if we need it. They also arrange coffee mornings for volunteers and friends to meet up and have a chat. I, like many other new volunteers, would like to meet all my friends eventually.
My I.T skills have improved in the last 12 months with help from my husband but mainly from the grandchildren who seem to have the answers at their fingertips! Now The Link is leading a project called Link Online to motivate those who are lonely or on their own to get connected via a tablet. My husband was impressed with the idea. The Link will find a way to make it work and he has taken up the challenge and come on board to help, another recruit.
Everyone together makes a difference at The Link.
Toni
Find out more about volunteering >> or our Link Online project >>