Volunteers’ week
VOLUNTEERS WEEK: TUESDAY: DAPHNE & CHARLES – HELP & CARE
Come and meet two absolute legends of volunteering this charity Tuesday as we celebrate the contribution of Daphne and Charles, who have been making their community a better place for over 50 years!
Nominee: Daphne & Charles
Nominating Charity: Help & Care
Hotel Break: Christchurch Harbour Hotel
The nomination:
“Daphne and her husband Charles are in their 80s and they have been helping the local community through volunteering for over 20 years. Both Daphne and Charles joined Help & Care in 2007, after meeting us at an event at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. Prior to Help & Care, they had volunteered with Age UK. Throughout their lives, they have carried out different roles at Help & Care, including driving people with mobility problems to essential appointments or visiting older and isolated people at home. When Charles suffered a heart attack eight years ago, they decided that going out and about was not safe anymore and joined the Telephone Befriending Support Scheme. In their current role, Daphne and Charles come to Help & Care headquarters on a fortnightly basis to call isolated, lonely, and sometimes housebound people. As a couple, they are very endearing in nature and have been extremely committed to their role as Telephone Support Volunteers. For example, they even came into the office one Christmas Eve to ring those being befriended.”
Daphne said:
“We started volunteering because we wanted to help people and make a real difference to their lives, especially to those who are lonely and housebound. It’s wonderful to see how a small act like a telephone call can make such a big difference for someone who might have not talked to anyone in two or three days.”
Charles said:
“I volunteer to try and carry out the Christian ethic of being a helper to those in need. The day may come when I need help, but if I can do something now to help those in need, best do it whilst I can.”
Daphne and Charles headed for a well-earned break at the fantastic Christchurch Harbour Hotel and were kind enough to let us briefly gatecrash and say hello to these legends in person!
