Volunteers at The Jenner Centre
It’s over 3 years now since we began working from the Jenner Centre offering accommodation for a number of organisations which support, advise and generally work with folk in the community. To help us cover these sessions we’ve recruited several volunteers to work alongside us. How did we recruit these important people? Well, some of them found themselves volunteering before they knew it! Others felt they needed to do something but were finding their current role was becoming too strenuous for them. They are invaluable in putting folk at their ease and making the Jenner Centre a welcoming place. Because they have a long association with Brechin and the surrounding area, there’s always plenty to talk about. Sometimes folk are waiting to see one of the workers using the Jenner Centre or they have accompanied someone and are waiting to take them home again.
Volunteering works in two ways. There’s the clear benefit to those visiting the Jenner Centre whether as clients, relatives and friends or looking for information. But the volunteers themselves would be the first to admit that they get a lot from their time at the Jenner Centre. They may have been feeling a little isolated and need more social contact, so they gain a lot from welcoming people and having a chat about the town, family, interests and anything else which arises. It could be football, the weather, farming or old Brechin. We’re still trying to remember who used our premises, not just before Santander, but before Alliance and Leicester – answers on a postcard! They also do some more mundane tasks such as hoovering up when Joyce is cutting toenails – did you know how far those clippings can go? And of course, we can’t forget our newest volunteer who has joined Joyce in carrying out Footcare.
Volunteering brings them close to the running of BHG and we’re always keen to hear their ideas and views. So volunteering is really important in making a success of BHG and the Jenner Centre. A big thank you for all that you do.