Page 32 - Phonebox Magazine June 2024

Olney, Newport Pagnell, and the surrounding villages have a huge network of organisations that are helped by an army of volunteers. Without these generous people stepping forward to assist others, many organisations would simply cease to exist. It’s the work put in by volunteers that keeps so many associations running. Charities, care groups, societies, clubs, churches and hospitals all accept that the work of the volunteer is crucial. Volunteers Week, which runs from 3rd to 9th June every year is a time to celebrate and inspire. The movement aims to show that there’s more than one way to volunteer and to encourage people to be the change that many organisations need.
There is plenty of help and guidance available to people thinking of putting themselves forward as a volunteer. Among the benefits of volunteering are: making new friends, greater confidence with people, broader social skills and a positive impact on mind and body. For more information see www.volunteersweek.org.
Here are just some of the organisations in our area who could not operate without the kind and generous help of volunteers.
into the cancer centre in Milton Keynes and visit people at home, offering emotional support to patients and their loved ones at a time when emotional support is so important and all so often undervalued. See what Carla one of our patients said:
“Thank you so much for your time and messages, they have meant a lot to me, and made a huge difference to me when I first started treatment. Your organisation is invaluable. “
Our volunteers are vital to enable our services to continue to grow, and as a charity we appreciate each and every one of them. Supporting our volunteers is also vital, and we offer inductions, training, wellness days and ongoing support throughout. See what one of the volunteers said: “I want to thank you for taking me as a volunteer. I have really enjoyed working with you and your team. You guys are some of the most optimistic people and have motivated me so much to pursue healthcare.”
More details: www.alspals.org.uk
as visiting lonely and isolated clients in their own home to offer company and conversation, delivering meals out into the community, assisting in our kitchen, offering IT support, memory clubs, fundraising, administration, helping at our lunch clubs and friendship groups. Another way to get involved is by supporting our Retail division, which has eight stores that depend on volunteers to assist in the smooth running of the shops.
Some volunteers work on a regular basis, giving them consistency and a routine which suits their schedule, while others prefer to offer their time on an ad hoc basis. With such a variety of opportunities, there is something for everyone. It is vital that our volunteers enjoy working with us and that they feel valued and supported. Volunteer’s Week is a great opportunity for us to show our thanks and gratitude for all the support given throughout the year. All money raised in Milton Keynes stays in Milton Keynes. Every £1 given to the charity enables us to carry on improving later life in MK.
More details: www.ageukmiltonkeynes.org.uk
Thumbs up
for volunteers!
Volunteers Week falls in June and celebrates the contribution that thousands of people make in helping others every year in their communities.
Al’s Pals
Al’s Pals support network
Age UK volunteers providing meals
Age UK
Age UK Milton Keynes is a local, independent charity that has provided information, advice, activities, and vital services for people in later life since June 1978. To enable us to deliver our range of services, we rely heavily on a large team of dedicated volunteers.
We are extremely fortunate to have a diverse network of volunteers who have the opportunity to get involved in all aspects of the organisation. Put simply, without our volunteers’ support, we could not continue to offer the scope of services that we do.
Volunteers can get involved in many ways, such
East Street helpers getting their hands dirty
East Street Centre, Olney
The existing management team of three, unpaid volunteers took over the building in around February 2020 and are now the Trustees. The team have built up the utilisation of the building; built relationships with our users; addressed many of the issues relating to the building and secured a formal lease with Milton Keynes City Council.
The ESCC is now an extremely lively and vital amenity for local residents. It has a very high utilisation with about 50 main customers, and maybe 1,000 users. But running the Centre with just three people is very hard work and we would very much welcome any help that local residents can provide.
Al’s Pals is a support charity for cancer patients and their families in hospital, at home, online and in the community. Al’s Pals was founded by Suzanne Brown back in 2019 after watching her own dad sadly lose his life to cancer. They found that as a family they needed further support, someone to talk to and offload to. Sadly, there was no support available. Alan would have loved a special someone to support him, and it was his wish to have a service like this.
Al’s Pals officially launched in 2020, and we go
32 Phonebox Magazine | June 2024