Our wonderful volunteer Ella has been supporting our Social and Therapeutic Horticulture sessions.
Here is a little bit about what volunteering with Alive is like for her.
What were your reasons for wanting to volunteer? What do you like about volunteering, and is there anything in particular that you like about volunteering with Alive?
Ella: Initially I wanted to volunteer for a number of reasons, the main one being that I wanted to gain more experience working with people living with dementia. At the time, I was only working part-time and wanted to use my extra time to do something to give back and help people! I was also drawn to the gardening support role that I had seen as wanted to be outdoors more and learn more about gardening.
Alive is super flexible which has been great for me the last 8-9 months that I’ve been volunteering, as for a lot of that time I had a hospitality job with irregular hours so it’s great that I had the flexibility to attend sessions where I could without the pressure of committing to every session for a whole project. The team are also wonderful! The other volunteers are all lovely and the social aspect of volunteering is great for me as well as the participants! Volunteering with Alive is very rewarding!
Is there a favourite memory or story you would like to share?
Ella: When our session facilitator first introduced listening to music and having a moment of quiet reflection at the end of sessions, it was really nice to see the participants enjoying the music. In particular, there was a lady attending that session who was mostly non-verbal and she came alive when the music played and even started humming along to the song!
Has volunteering with Alive had any impact on your life?
Ella: As I said before, it’s so rewarding to be able to give back and offer some social support to the participants and their carers … just knowing that I’ve played a part in someone feeling a little less isolated is a really nice feeling.
Additionally, the social aspect and being outside surrounded by nature is great for the wellbeing of everyone involved! As well as being great for the mental health/wellbeing of participants, it’s also really good for that of the volunteers. I have found that spending that time outside with other people makes a huge improvement on my own mood. Especially if I’ve had a long week working in an office with not many people around me, it’s a really nice change of pace. It’s a fab way to de-stress and relax even just doing some allotment maintenance!
Have you learned anything from volunteering with Alive?
Ella: Since volunteering with Alive, I’ve learnt a lot about dementia and working with people with dementia. It has developed my sensitivity and communication skills further. I’ve also learnt lots about gardening which is an added bonus!
Did you have any reservations or challenges to overcome before you started volunteering with Alive?
Ella: No reservations but I had to sort of adapt a little in the way I work. It’s been really nice becoming more task/process-oriented rather than goal-oriented as the gardening sessions are all about enjoying the process and being in the moment (with the added bonus of produce at the end if all goes well).
I haven’t had to overcome any specific challenges in my time with the charity! The team at Alive are hugely supportive anyway so provide training and any support needed if there are any more challenging moments.
Is there any advice you would give to others that are thinking about volunteering with Alive?
Ella: I would highly recommend it to anyone to take part! My only advice is just to go with the flow and enjoy the process.
Are you interested in joining Ella as a volunteer with Alive? Please email our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@aliveactivities.org or give us a call at 07861 385 543 for more info and to apply.