Abbeyfield’s volunteers are the lifeblood of our organisation and they come from all walks of life. Some of our houses in the South-West have benefited from some incredible volunteers who have come forward to help us through the pandemic.
At Abbeyfield House in Camelford, Leandra Hawken has been extremely busy helping with day-to-day tasks. Not only has she been doing all the residents’ shopping and collecting their prescriptions, but she is also organising and running activities so that residents can enjoy the sunshine in their garden. What’s more, she has even convinced her mother to volunteer with her once the pandemic is over!
Leandra said,
I have received a great sense of purpose through during this. Home schooling two children of different ages has been challenging to say the least and being furloughed from work has been more frustrating than I ever thought it would be. I find I look forward to popping down and spending time with them all in the beautiful gardens.
Sometimes we don’t have to look very far from the tree and we can turn to our own staff’s families to help out. Lyn Orders, one of our Business Support Coordinators, has recruited her husband and son, Martin and Jack, have delivered food collected to houses around Falmouth and St. Austell, while also taking the time to move furniture for those looking for a respite stay, and even fixing the WiFi.
Meanwhile, two young General Assistants at Falmouth also deserve a special mention. Although not officially volunteers, 17-year-olds Elly Orders and George Sewell have been performing all sorts of odd jobs including clearing and cleaning rooms, driving to make collections, covering for other staff who are self-isolating and moving furniture in and out of rooms.
Senior House Manager, Linda Harley, said, "They have done really well for us and literally never refused anything asked of them".
It’s a real tribute to what can be achieved when we all come together.
Have you been inspired to volunteer for Abbeyfield? Click here to see our current vacancies and do something truly amazing today, or email us at volunteering@abbeyfield.com.