Stories from volunteers
Ann's story
‘I moved to this area about five years ago, to be closer to work. I didn’t have any friends nearby and I didn’t have much free time to get to know people. Not long after I’d moved, someone from The Children’s Society gave a talk at my church. Handing out community boxes seemed like a fantastic way to get involved in the community without overstretching myself, so I signed up as a volunteer then and there.
‘I’ve only been volunteering for about five months, but in that time I’ve handed out 15 boxes and feel I’ve really found my feet. I’ve met lots of new people and have become a part of the local community in a way that I never was in my old area. It’s a good feeling be known and greeted in all my local shops, and to have made so many friends in such a short space of time.
‘The best thing about the role? That’s a tough one. Obviously, it’s had a significant impact on my social life. But the best thing was probably going back and collecting the money for the first time – the boxes had collected a grand total of £432.87 in just 3 months. It’s almost time to empty them again, and I’m actually quite excited. If they keep going like this, they could bring in over £1,700 a year! Knowing that that money I’m raising is giving children a better childhood is really the best thing of all.’
Mike's story
‘I first heard about The Children’s Society through my church – we always had a Christingle service there. Then, when I retired, we moved to Yorkshire to be closer to my wife’s family. I found I had a lot more free time on my hands, so when the vicar of our new church mentioned that he was looking for a Parish Coordinator I thought I’d give it a go.
I was interested in The Children’s Society because of its links with the church and because of the sterling work they’re doing with some of our most vulnerable and forgotten children. At the same time, it was a good excuse to get out of the house and meet the people in my local community. In the five years that I’ve been volunteering, my wife and I have really got to know my boxholders, and many of them have become good friends.
A few years ago, my wife suggested that we combined collecting the money with a garden party at our house. We served a buffet lunch and had stalls to raise extra funds. Around 30 people came along and we found it was a great way to meet new people, tell them about our work and hand out more boxes.
Our most recent event attracted around 80 people and raised over £850, not including the money from the boxes. It might sound like a lot of work, but we’ve certainly not been short of help - I now have almost 35 boxholders on my list, and they’re all very supportive. I have to say, it is always a pleasure to have such a good reason to get in touch with them.’
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