Volunteer Roles

Over 5,000 volunteers with different skills and backgrounds help MHA do more. Our volunteers are vital to our success and do so much to help enrich the lives of older people in our care.

Here are a few examples of the ways volunteers support our work:

When volunteer Rachel Barker goes in to MHA Brockworth House care home she says she feels as though she is ‘doing something that matters’.

The 32-year-old was looking for volunteer work after having spent five years bed-bound due to sensory motor polyneuropathy. When feeling began to return to her nerves and she became mobile again using a wheelchair, Rachel felt it was time to do something. Read Rachel's story in full >>

Tim is a volunteer driver for his local Live at Home Scheme and a member of its management committee.

“There’s a group of people who have a pub lunch every week. There’s one lady who has had a leg amputated, so she can’t travel easily, so I take her every week in our car. A lot of older people have mobility problems or aren't well served by public transport, so drivers are important.
 
“The scheme members really enjoy the lunch club. They mostly live alone, so it’s so important that they can get out, meet people, have some company and a nice meal.

"I was involved in the inception of the scheme and served as chairman for several years. As a retired social worker, I could see the benefits of Live at Home and how it could improve older people’s wellbeing and prevent isolation.

"The government policy is to try to enable people to stay living in their own homes as long as possible, and Live at Home is a very cost effective way of doing that, especially thanks to volunteering. It’s grown exponentially on the island over the last few years.
 
“It’s very rewarding to see that you’re making a difference to vulnerable people’s lives. My wife Karen joins me, and we do like knowing that we are making a contribution in our way that’s directly helping people.”

Carl is a volunteer befriender at Rothwell Live at Home.

“I had a very bad accident some years ago that left me housebound for 18 months. I got a real insight into what it’s like not to be able to get out and how isolated you can feel. I wanted to help people who might be experiencing the same sense of isolation I felt, even though I knew I was recovering and would be able to go out eventually.

"I saw the opportunity to be a befriender with Live at Home and started off committing to an hour a week but now I do more. I absolutely love it and wish I’d done it years ago. The two people I visit have really become my friends; they have both lived fascinating lives and I love the time we spend together.

"I’ve got so much out of volunteering, as it’s helped my confidence after the accident and also changed my perceptions. I don’t see older people anymore, I just see people."

Kymberly Birch volunteers at the Stanton Lodge retirement living with care community in Swindon.

“I started volunteering because I was recovering from being rather ill and needed something temporary to do in my spare time. I didn't realise that I would want to come back every week.

"Now I volunteer every week and I thoroughly enjoy it because I feel like I’m giving something back to the community. Not only that, I feel like part of Stanton's community - their family.

"Each resident has their own personality, each one of them appreciates me helping with activities and I believe I’ve built friendships with some, if not all, as their friendly faces always provide me with a smile on arrival.

"Volunteering has also changed where I see myself in ten years. It's given me the direction I want to take my career. I now know what I want to do with my life and that is to have a career like many at Stanton Lodge.”

Become an MHA Volunteer

To learn more about becoming a volunteer with MHA, please visit our Volunteering page.