It is Volunteers Week!

On Tuesday 5th June I attended the launch of the Sport and Recreation Alliances new central online tool to help local clubs and events connect with volunteers. The link is here.

Where would we be without volunteers? 

• Thousands of people would have got lost or not found their seat during the Olympics and other sporting events.
• Athletics clubs would not have time keepers. 
• Cricket matches wouldn't have scorers, umpires - or tea! 
• Saturday morning football clubs wouldn't have anyone running the line. 
• Sports clubs would have mud over their floors as no one to clean it up. 
• Playing fields would be uncut and the grounds would become unkempt and unattractive to visitors. 
• No one to take photos for the web site, write reports or letters to the newspapers. 
• There would be no one to open the bar! 
• Memory clubs would close. 
• Charities with local groups like Parkinson's Society, Stroke Association and MS would not have any local fundraisers. 
• Drop in support clubs would close as there would be no one to open the door!
• The local children's theatre groups would no longer inspire young performers as the mums, dads, aunties and uncles would not be there to taxi children, sweep the floor, or sell raffle tickets. 
• Dance exams would stop as the lady in the changing room who does the hair and makes sure the children are professionally presented wouldn't be there - nor would the lady with the kind smile who plays the piano or works the CD player.
• There would be no chaperones at the local theatre.
• No one to buy the birthday card, bunch of flowers or sympathy card. 
• No one to share a story, a happy moment, a laugh or a giggle - and no one to give sympathy and friendship when it is most needed. 

Volunteering isn't just about telling people where the registration tent is, cleaning muddy boots, handing out bottles of water, selling raffle tickets or programmes. You might be on washing up duty and have to take the rubbish out - but if you don't who will? Not everyone can be the boss, and it is the person doing these small things that are most noticed when they are gone.  

The person doing the washing up on a Thursday afternoon after the Stroke Association meeting leaves the kitchen as spotless as they found it. Everything is in its proper place. If they didn't do this the cups would be left, the rubbish bin left over flowing so the next person would spend precious time clearing up. After a game at the local football club the players have a take away to celebrate their success (or drown their sorrows) - who empties the bin with their fish and chip wrappers and bags? Will the kitchen smell of kebabs and curry sauce be left to linger until someone opens a window and wipes down the surfaces with the kitchen cleaner and sponge left by the sink? 

So, if you are feeling a bit lonely, get yourself dressed, put on clothes that make you feel good and confident and pop along to the local community club or church on coffee morning day and sit yourself down and introduce yourself to someone. Offer to do something you enjoy like knitting premature clothes for babies, weed the pavilion, water the hanging baskets, sort out the books or catalogue the photographs. You can be sure there are many jobs that need to be done and they might just be the very thing you enjoy and very soon your offer of time will make a difference. You will have a whole new set of friends, a purpose and something to look forward to other than the next episode of your favourite soap. 

You never know...you might even help someone who is feeling the same loneliness that you felt.