Mary's story

Mary Jones volunteers with Alive Activities, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of older people and their carers. Here, she explains what motivated her to become a volunteer and how the role benefits her and the people she supports.

“I have been volunteering in one capacity or another since my teens. I suppose it is in my upbringing and my nature to do so. I like the satisfaction of knowing that I am helping someone, whether it be an individual, group or organisation. I firmly believe that if I do a kindness for someone then one day that kindness may be repaid to me when I need it.

“I enjoy volunteering with Alive because I can utilise my area of interest and expertise to help others. I can see that it has a direct impact on a person’s life, whether that is lifting their mood, evoking a memory, teaching new skills, providing a form of exercise, providing an inner calmness through the outdoors and nature and gardening or just providing company and companionship.

“My role has made me very aware of the loneliness, isolation and boredom that often exists within care settings and how much an hour or so of activity, connection with nature and the outdoors and companionship of others can impact the wellbeing of residents in those settings. I am always incredibly happy to hear what a difference the Alive sessions make to that person’s day or week.

"Volunteering has an impact on my life too, as it is incredibly rewarding. I feel very humbled by the trust that participants have in us as volunteers, and also very privileged that they tell us personal stories about their past lives and loved ones.

“I have gained a great deal of understanding of dementia and what the impact of it on a person’s life and on those caring for that person may be. The importance of provoking a past memory through gardening activities and talking to someone with dementia about their past gardening experiences is like switching on a light bulb. It is such a joyous feeling to witness these moments and to have had some part in facilitating them.

“I’ve also learnt to allow participants to participate in their own time. Not everyone wants to join in and sometimes just watching others is enough interaction for some people. Everyone benefits in different ways, and everyone is different regardless of age, gender and ability.”

Nadja Klose, Volunteer Coordinator at Alive said:

“Mary has been supporting our social and therapeutic horticulture sessions for a few years now. She brings warmth, positive energy, generosity, determination and lots of gardening skills. She makes our participants smile and is a very valued member of our team. We are so lucky to have her!”

If Mary's story has inspired you to get involved in volunteering, click on the link below.