Need something to keep you busy in your retirement? Why not follow in the footsteps of Heather, a busy volunteer, offering her time to support numerous charities. Over the last 24 years since she took early retirement, Heather has volunteered for Cats Protection, Pets as Therapy, and The Cinnamon Trust. Moving to East Sussex 2 years ago, she was recommended to volunteer for Chailey Heritage Foundation (a charity supporting and educating children and young people with complex disabilities and health needs) and Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare in Ringmer (a rescue centre for animals in need). Both being smaller local charities compared to the ones she had previously volunteered for; Heather feels that she is a lot closer to the action now and has been able to see the impact she is making.

At Chailey Heritage Foundation she volunteers for the fundraising and events team, supporting events like Christmas concerts, summer fetes and even an auction, where she greets attendees, sells raffle tickets and serves refreshments. Part of her role also involves raising money and raising awareness about the work of the charity outside local venues like supermarkets and garden centres.

Every Tuesday Heather is part of a team of 4 volunteers in the Welcome Cabin at Raystede. In this role she books people in as they arrive so the centre can track capacity, offers information, gives out maps of the site and shows children what activities they can do. She also helps visitors take heavy or bulky donations to the charity shop and greets people who are giving up their animals for adoption. A special part of her volunteering is when she meets people on the day that they come to collect their new furry family member!

After her husband passed away, Heather found that volunteering helped her enormously, by being able to spend time with other volunteers with whom she has a great relationship with, as well as giving structure to her life.

Her advice to others who are considering volunteering is to think about the charity you want to volunteer with:

Research the charity and find out what opportunities are available as there are all kinds of roles out there. She also suggests making yourself aware of what isn’t right for you and that some opportunities will not be a good fit, but that’s ok as you will find something else that you do enjoy. Heather highly recommends volunteering and told us “At the end of the day you feel positive. You’ve had a good day and know you have made a difference.”

Maybe it’s time for you to consider your next volunteer role. Take a look at Chailey Heritage Foundation and Raystede for their volunteer opportunities.