“I have just started volunteering at the Book Barn and feel already that I have made friends and am doing something that gives pleasure to others.”

“I see volunteering as a two way experience, for the volunteer a way to be useful and to give back to a community and for the receiver it can lessen the experience of growing older and feeling lonely.”

“Volunteering at the Book Barn is a way of meeting people and getting to know more about the area which is my home now.”

“Duty slots are quite flexible and fit in well with my family commitments.”

“I get to be surrounded by books and I have introduced myself to authors that I would never have read if I had to buy their books at full price.”

“Volunteering at the Blacksmith Cottage has meant feeling part of a community. It has been an excellent way of meeting people and contributing something to the town I have chosen to live in.”

“Since retiring, I was in danger of losing many of my IT skills. Working behind the scenes with the Blacksmith Cottage and Forge Committee has helped me keep my skills alive and make a meaningful contribution to the community.”