“I became a volunteer at Richmond Good Neighbours about nine years ago. A friend suggested giving it a go and I loved it. Volunteering adds another dimension to everyday life and it is an opportunity to meet other people – both clients and other volunteers. It also enables you to give something back to the local community. Over the years I have become more involved in the charity and became a trustee about six years ago.

Over the last ten weeks, during the pandemic, demand for our services has seen a big increase both in terms of people requiring support and also those who want to help out and volunteer.

Volunteers can do as much or as little as they want to. My preference is to have one client on a longer term basis so that I can get to know them and they get to know me. I have been fortunate with the clients I have been allocated over the years. They have always been very interesting with some great stories and anecdotes about their lives in Richmond and further afield. They are always grateful for what I do for them as are their families who often live afar and are comforted by the fact that someone is seeing their relative once or twice a week.

A typical week would see me visit my client on a Tuesday after work to have a chat and get their shopping list. Often the list is the same each week so I do try and encourage clients to try something new or what might be in season. Strawberries and asparagus were on the list during May! I will then deliver the shopping to them a couple of days later, have another chat and collect the money for the groceries. Since the outset of the pandemic, the visits have become twice weekly telephone conversations and the groceries are ordered online for delivery direct to the client.

Being a small charity we are reliant on donations and a large part of the trustee role is to look at new and innovative ways of raising money. We usually do this by having a stall at the Richmond May Fair and this year one of our volunteers secured a place in the London Marathon. Unfortunately neither of these events have taken place this year so we are looking at other ways we can make up the financial shortfall.

If you are thinking about volunteering, I can completely recommend it. Look for a charity that aligns closely with what you are interested in and do some research into the work they do. Establish whether you can fit it in with your work and family commitments – most charities are grateful for the support and are very accommodating. Take the plunge and go for it. There is a surprising amount of wellbeing you get from helping others.

Richmond Good Neighbours (RGN) is small charity based in the heart of Richmond and currently has over eighty volunteers who provide services to elderly or less mobile people. These services include:

• shopping on behalf of a client or taking a client shopping
• driving to and from medical or dental appointments
• transportation to and from social activities
• visiting and befriending service

Essentially the charity provides services that might be offered by a 'good neighbour'.”