With pots of green paint and paintbrushes in hand, members of the Marketing team at The Abbeyfield Society had one goal in mind last week - to try and paint the long fences in the expanse garden at our care home,Winnersh,in preparation for their Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Last week saw the start of Volunteers Week, which runs every year from the 1st – 7th June, and is a chance to celebrate all the wonderful volunteers and give thanks to all who volunteer to make a difference to their communities.
With most of the team from Head Office at The Abbeyfield Society working from home, they saw this week as a great opportunity to come together, spend the day working collectively, and getting involved. The team enjoyed getting stuck in tackling painting the long fences in the beautiful garden and did a great job, trying to get as much done as possible in the day.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of Abbeyfield. In recognition of this we encourage our staff to undertake volunteering, both within Abbeyfield and the wider community. During Volunteers Week the Marketing team decided to get out of the office for the day, don their working clothes and use a bit of elbow grease to help with the painting of the exterior fence at Winnersh. The team thoroughly enjoyed the day and helped to spruce up the garden area in preparation for their Jubilee party. We look forward to going back next year to do it all again.
Paul Colwill, Volunteer Officer
Benefits of being outdoors and gardening
Being outdoors in the garden has many benefits for your well-being including:
- Boosting your self-esteem – it always feels great when you accomplish a new task.
- Gardening is good for your heart health – digging, planting, painting and weeding all helps to burn calories, which will in turn strengthen your heart muscles.
- Gardening is great for socialising – Although you can do gardening outdoors by yourself, it’s also a great opportunity for spending time with friends, family and other volunteers.
- Getting a boost of vitamin D – being outdoors can help increase the level of vitamin D you get which increases your calcium level and this benefits your bones and immune system.
- Improving your mental health – being outdoors, in the garden and surrounded by nature can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression; providing respite, making you feel happier and changing your outlook.
- Learning new skills – doing things in the garden can help teach you new skills which can in turn boost your confidence.
We had a great time getting the garden ready for the Jubilee celebrations. It was also nice to catch up with my colleagues in a sociable setting, particularly after two years of working from home.
Mike Silverstone, Senior PR & Communications Officer
Volunteer with Abbeyfield
At Abbeyfield, volunteers are at the heart of our organisation, as our founder Richard Carr-Gomm was our first ever volunteer, dedicating time to help alleviate loneliness in older people. As a charity with a mission to make time for older people, we have so many great opportunities to help older people in your community, with roles ranging from admin support, helping with the gardening, running activities, becoming a befriender and many more. You can find out more about volunteering with Abbeyfield on our volunteering page, or email our volunteering team to find local vacancies near you.