Volunteering at SPCA
For Volunteers’ Week, we asked a few of our volunteers to answer questions about their experience with SPCA. Find out what Don, Julianna, and Lee had to share.
How long have you been volunteering with SPCA?
D: It’s been about 30 years now – since the beginning
J: It’s been a long time, more than five years
L: 2 years
What volunteer roles have you done?
D: Befriending, wheelchair attendance, holiday organizer, bingo, singing group, general volunteer
J: Helping with festivals, on committee, kitchen, anything you can think of, I’ve done
L: I volunteer with the Golden years group, providing help every Monday
Why did you start volunteering here?
D. I was on the old bar committee. I was then co-opted onto main committee of St Pancras as a trustee. In the centre, I started with bingo and participated in the Good Neighbour Scheme by Camden council, where we’d clean windows, help with gardening, reading, shopping. I was a trustee for 20 years and chair for 3 years.
J: Because it is a community and I am for community. I like to see people get justice, fairness, happiness. I don’t like to see people unhappy. I haven’t got much but I can help others, guide them, listen to them, make sure they have a smile on their face. Before SPCA, as a single parent, I got very involved with different community activities, and got children involved to reduce pressure of being a single mum. It was financially, emotionally, socially, and physically hard work, so building community relieved some of the pressures. So I like to stay involved now to keep helping.
L: I’m not working as hard as I used to so I had a bit of spare time on my hands, and I decided wanted to do something that not only helpful for other people but good for my soul. I’d never been to the centre before, but I thought I’d give it a try, and found I loved it. It’s an opportunity to mix with a lovely bunch of people.
What does the centre mean to you?
D: It’s a part of my life. There’s many different facets to it. I go for meals—we used to have lunch daily, bingo after lunch twice a week. It means a lot, because it’s part of the community.
J: It means a lot. It’s a refuge for me and others. You can meet new people, entertain others, come to see difference in their appearance over time. If someone is looking sad and down when they enter atmosphere changes, they eat, drink, talk to other people and they leave very happy. Very nice experience, for me and them. Some people leave on their own and that is the only place they socialise, that they can feel relaxed, feel themselves. Sometimes people take food for next day because they wouldn’t have it otherwise. They appreciate it and we appreciate it. Relief from stress and from everything for everyone, learning from each other. Nothing happens individually.
L: Gives me an opportunity to mix with people wouldn’t normally mix with, lovely people.
What’s one of your favourite memories from volunteering at SPCA?
D: Going on holidays, day trips, occasional festival. The people you meet and the ones that have gone.
J: Everything is a favourite, no favourites, everything is always something different. Always smiling, nothing in particular.
L: Going there just makes me smile: it’s such a different social environment. It’s nice to get to know the group and I think they enjoy getting to know me. It just feels like you’re doing something good.
What’s the best part of volunteering?
D: Being social with people, active, helping generally, being proactive.
J: Turning up and being consistent. They need you to be consistent, to turn up today and tomorrow, It doesn’t work if you’re not consistent: people need to see you regularly because it makes them familiar, helps them and they get happy to come because they get to see a familiar face and that makes them feel good. That’s my philosophy. And that’s what I would like: I don’t like to see different people all the time.
L: Seeing the smiles on people’s faces, all so grateful, and all love socialising. It’s a very happy place to be, which I wouldn’t have the opportunity of doing if I hadn’t volunteered. It’s the highlight of my week.
To find out more about volunteering at SPCA and apply, click here.
