Category: Volunteer of the Month

We love this time of the month: when we get to shout about our amazing volunteers and the, quite literally, life changing work they do to help Fresh Futures run smoothly and effectively.

This month we are giving a very special THANK YOU to Abbie Simpson who has been volunteering as a befriender at Fresh Futures for 8 months.

We caught up with Abbie to hear about her Fresh Futures Volunteering journey so far…

1. Name: Abbie Simpson
2. Tell us a little about yourself? I am a mum of 4 and live in the Holme Valley. I have worked most of my life in the education system, working with hearing impaired children. Then 3 years ago I decided to retrain as a counsellor, which I am still in the process of doing. Once qualified, I would like to specialise in working with children again and possibly train as a play therapist. Outside of work, and training, I love to be outside – I love to hike, wild swim and be with my family.  I love to explore new places and collect a fridge magnet from every new place I visit, from Florida to Bath! 
3. How long have you been volunteering for the charity? I have been volunteering with Fresh Futures for 8 months and have loved every minute. 
4. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: My role is to visit with my community friend and make him feel less lonely, to bring part of the outside world (which he doesn’t venture into) into his home. To listen to his amazing life and stories.
5. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? I wanted to give back to the community I live in. I don’t have grandparents and felt I was missing out. I wanted to be able to provide a listening ear, an empathic heart and unconditional friendship.
6. Tell us a bit about your role: I see Walker every Monday morning; we both feel it is a lovely start to the week and we catch up on what has been happening over the weekend. Walker will tell me about his life and ask me about mine. I sometimes do little jobs for Walker, such as filling up his bird feeders and helping him with his mail. He has asked me in the past to visit his parents grave, who are buried next door to my grandparents. I have taken a photo as he has not been to the graveyard for 40 years. 
7. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? DO IT. It will be the most rewarding thing you ever do. So far, I have managed to get my mum to sign up and I’m working on the rest of my family. Age knows no bounds and a wonderful friendship can flourish. 

If you feel inspired to become a volunteer like Abbie, or if you would like to volunteer in any way for our charity, please contact Lucy on 01484 519988 or email [email protected]

We love this time of the month: when we get to shout about our amazing volunteers and the, quite literally, life changing work they do to help Fresh Futures run smoothly and effectively.

This month we are giving a very special THANK YOU to Freya Askwith-Martin who has been volunteering at YCC’s Stay and Play sessions since November 2022 whilst studying for her degree at Huddersfield University.

We caught up with Freya to hear about her Fresh Futures Volunteering journey so far…

1. Name: Freya Askwith-Martin
2. Tell us a little about yourself? I am in my second year at Huddersfield University studying a joint honours degree in Sociology and Psychology.
3. How long have you been volunteering for the charity? I have been volunteering at Fresh Futures since November 2022.
4. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: On a Tuesday morning I help set up the Stay and Play room ready for when parents and children arrive. I then stay during the session and play with the children and catch up with the parents. On a Thursday afternoon I help out with the Early Onset Dementia Support Group where we play games and catch up.
5. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? I needed to carry out work experience for one of my assignments and when I was reading the information on the Fresh Futures website I knew I wanted to do it there. The services are amazing and I wanted to work with children and young families. I enjoy volunteering at Fresh Futures so much, I often forget I am there to work towards my assignment.
6. Tell us a bit about your role: My two days at Fresh Futures are very different as one involves helping with the set up of the Stay and Play session, and the other is socialising with the DSG members. I enjoy working with both adults and children.
7. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? To anyone considering volunteering with Fresh Futures I would recommend doing so without hesitation. They offer so many different services and the staff are lovely and helpful. I’m so grateful to Fresh Futures for letting me volunteer with them and giving me the opportunities they have.

If you feel inspired to become a volunteer like Freya, or if you would like to volunteer in any way for our charity, please contact Lucy on 01484 519988 or email [email protected]

We love this time of the month: when we get to shout about our amazing volunteers and the, quite literally, life changing work they do to help Fresh Futures run smoothly and effectively.

This month we are giving a very special THANK YOU to Sarah Marsden, who has not only been volunteering as a befriender for over a year, but has joined the Community Connections team covering maternity leave.

We caught up with Sarah to hear about her Fresh Futures Volunteering journey so far…

1. Name: Sarah Marsden
2. Tell us a little about yourself? I am a qualified General & Mental Health Nurse, retired Police Officer, I volunteer at wildlife sanctuaries around the world and I am currently the Matcher for Community Connections for Community Friends. I also volunteer as a school governor, help out at The Welcome Centre food bank and if there is any spare time I assist in the hospital at my local Wildlife Rescue.
3. How long have you been volunteering for the charity? I have been volunteering for Fresh Futures for 13 months now. I initially befriended two lonely people in the community and help with the young onset dementia support group which is a lifeline for many of these clients in their difficult journey.
4. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: I spend an hour a week with a lovely centenarian lady and and I love learning about the various clients who attend dementia support group.
5. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? My volunteering started when I walked through the door of Fresh Futures and spoke to Lucy and the rest is history.
6. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? I not only have the privilege of volunteering at Fresh Futures who are extremely supportive, forward thinking and creative in the diversity of roles that they offer, but also I find volunteering very rewarding and beneficial to my own mental health.

If you feel inspired to become a volunteer like Sarah, or if you would like to volunteer in any way for our charity, please contact Lucy on 01484 519988 or email [email protected]

We love this time of the month: when we get to shout about our amazing volunteers and the quite literally life changing work that they do to help Fresh Futures run smoothly and effectively.

This month we are giving a very special THANK YOU to Caty Illingworth, who has been volunteering as a befriender for 4 years.

We caught up with Caty to hear about her Fresh Futures Volunteering Journey so far…

1. Name: Caty Illingworth
2. Tell us a little about yourself? I am self employed and my business is all about developing high performance in people and teams – my background is learning and development. I have a 6 year old son who keeps me entertained and is named after my favourite place in Italy (Lucca) – I love all things Italian, running and cooking. 
3. How long have you been volunteering for the charity?  I have been volunteering for 4 years now
4. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: My role is to befriend people in our community who may otherwise be lonely or isolated.
5. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? When my son was very small I watched ‘Nursing home for 4 year olds’ and thought it would benefit older people in the community and my son to connect the older and younger generations. I also know that in her later years my Nan really would have appreciated the company of a volunteer. 
6. Sum up a typical day of volunteering for you: I mainly listen to and chat with my friend, and sometimes help her with basic jobs around the home, shopping, making calls (she’s hard of hearing) and occasionally take her for a trip to a cafe.  
7. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? Give it a try – it’s good for the soul and very rewarding. I also always think that I never know whether I might need a befriended when I’m older. It can take as much or little time as you want it to, but makes a huge difference, just by you being there. 

If you feel inspired to become a volunteer like Caty, or if you would like to volunteer in any way for our charity, please contact Lucy on 01484 519988 or email [email protected]

We love this time of the month: when we get to shout about our amazing volunteers and the quite literally life changing work that they do to help Fresh Futures run smoothly and effectively.

This month we are giving a very special THANK YOU to Sushma Rani, who volunteers as a befriender at Fresh Futures.

We caught up with Sushma to hear about her Fresh Futures Volunteering Journey…

1. Name: Sushma Rani
2. How long have you been volunteering for the charity? I started befriending in 2019.
3. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: I am a befriender at Fresh Futures and speak to the friends I have been matched with on a weekly basis to help prevent isolation
4. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? I became a befriender to be there for someone who is feeling alone
5. Tell us a little bit about your role: As a befriender I assist ,comfort, increase sense of belonging and purpose in a friend’s life
6. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? Being a befriender gives me great pleasure

If you feel inspired to become a volunteer like Sushma, or if you would like to volunteer in any way for our charity, please contact Lucy on 01484 519988 or email [email protected]

We love this time of the month: when we get to shout about our amazing volunteers and the quite literally life changing work that they do to help Fresh Futures run smoothly and effectively.

This month we are giving a very special THANK YOU to Jordan Tyrell, who has been volunteering at the Pass It On charity shop in Heckmondwike for 6 months.

We caught up with Jordan to hear about his Fresh Futures Volunteering Journey so far…

1. Name: Jordan Tyrell
2. Tell us a little about yourself? My name is Jordan, I’m 18 and I have just finished studying for A-Levels in Maths, Physics and Design Technology.
3. How long have you been volunteering for the charity? Almost 6 months
4. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: My role as a volunteer consists of working on the till and some work in the vintage warehouse where I help move newly donated furniture around and take pictures to list on the company’s eBay page.
5. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? I started volunteering with Fresh Futures for my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award and I thought it would be the perfect place to start as the people are great.
6. Tell us a little bit about your role: A typical day of volunteering for me would consist of some work on the till, pricing and uploading newly donated items on the company’s Facebook and eBay pages and helping in the vintage warehouse.
7. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? I highly recommend volunteering with Fresh Futures as it has been a great experience for me so far.

If you feel inspired to become a volunteer like Jordan, or if you would like to volunteer in any way for our charity, please contact Lucy on 01484 519988 or email [email protected]

We love this time of the month: when we get to shout about our amazing volunteers and the quite literally life changing work that they do to help Fresh Futures run smoothly and effectively.

This month we are giving a very special THANK YOU to Tracey Mcknight, who started volunteering over two years ago as a befriender!

We caught up with Tracey to hear about her Fresh Futures Volunteering Journey so far…

1. Name: Tracey Mcknight
2. Tell us a little about yourself? My journey with Community Connections started during the covid pandemic, I spotted an advertisement on social media for the role, but I wasn’t quite sure what qualifications I would need.  Well, I took the first step and soon came to realise the only qualifications needed are to be a good listener, have a good bit of chat, and most importantly have a whole lot of fun. 
3. How long have you been volunteering for the charity? Over 2 years 
4. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: I was originally matched with two gentlemen, and we had weekly telephone calls as we couldn’t meet during the pandemic. This didn’t stop us enjoying our time together, I learned so much about Liverpool football club, we did quiz time and singalongs to some great old songs, and nattered about how things were when my gentlemen were growing up in the 1930’s.  Despite our age differences, we loved sharing our life stories together. 
5. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? Having elderly parents, I realised that there were many elderly or vulnerable people in our community who were feeling lonely.
6. Tell us a little bit about your role: My role has developed and now I not only have telephone conversations with my community connection friends but I am able to see them face to face.  I have recently been matched to the most interesting and lovely lady who has so many stories to share about her cruises and ballroom dancing I love looking over the old photographs and reminiscing with her.
7. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? This is such a rewarding role, and I would highly recommend anyone who has a spare hour or so a week to give it a go! Putting a smile on someone’s face is priceless and just being that bridge between loneliness and having a feeling of companionship is really what it is all about! Just give it a go and make a difference!

If you feel inspired to become a volunteer like Tracey, or if you would like to volunteer in any way for our charity, please contact Lucy on 01484 519988 or email [email protected]

We love this time of the month: when we get to shout about our amazing volunteers and the quite literally life changing work that they do to help Fresh Futures run smoothly and effectively.

This month we are giving a very special THANK YOU to Amarah Younas, who started volunteering just over a year ago for Child Contact!

We caught up with Amarah to hear about her Fresh Futures Volunteering Journey so far…

1. Name: Amarah Younas
2. Tell us a little about yourself? Passionate, kind, and helpful is the type of person I am. I use the initiative and put in extra work to allow effectiveness is ensured. I work collaboratively within a team, as I can complete tasks and my role. I have a patient approach and calm manner which is important when dealing with challenging situations, especially at times within the Fresh Futures. 
3. How long have you been volunteering for the charity? I have volunteered for 1 year and 1 month. 
4. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: As a volunteer, I help deliver a safe environment for children and families. This is delivered through weekly contact sessions, and supporting (sometimes through words of encouragement) the carers to positively develop the relationship with their children. 
5. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? During COVID-19, it was really difficult to see others not being with their loved ones, either by separation or by the passing of their loved one. After the COVID cases and isolation had reduced, I felt like I had to give something back to the community. Hence, I searched volunteering places, especially within a family setting, and came across Fresh Futures. I read more into what the organisation did and was intrigued. I wanted to be part of the support that helped individuals reunite with their loved ones. 
6. Sum up a typical day of volunteering for you? A typical day at the contact centre entails going into 2 or 3 sessions of either supported, supervised, or MS Teams meeting (for new families starting the contact centre). Sometimes, depending on the case, I even go out in the community with the team supervisor and observe the contact between the children and their carers. By the end of the day, I assist in cleaning up the creche/contact room, in order for the rooms to be presentable for the next families. 
7. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? Do it! You will not regret it, it is a good challenge and you will learn many things that will increase your outer knowledge about other families, and how difficult some of their situations are. It is a rewarding experience, and you know what makes volunteering even better? It’s the team at YCC, they will always support and teach you. 

If you feel inspired to become a volunteer like Amarah, or if you would like to volunteer in any way for our charity, please contact Lucy on 01484 519988 or email [email protected]

It’s Volunteer of the Month time again at YCC! This month, the Community Connections team nominated Phil Clarke – a very worthy candidate.

Phil started volunteering at the start of the pandemic, as he recognised how lucky he was to have a partner and not be isolated during lockdown. Phil decided to take action and help others who were not as fortunate. He has since linked with, and continues to provide support, to not one but THREE isolated and lonely individuals.

Phil spoke to Lucy Martin about his experience volunteering during the Covid-19 struggle, and beyond…

1. Name: Phil Clarke
2. Tell us a little about yourself? I am 75 years of age, having fully retired 3 years ago after 50 years as a Social Worker/Manager. I live in the Holme Valley with my partner Sue, and have four adult children who live across the country. I enjoy gardening, attending gigs, walking, and supporting Oldham Athletic (enjoying is sometimes debatable).
3. How long have you been volunteering for the charity? I started volunteering during the height of the pandemic, in 2020.
4. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: I became a telephone befriender to a man with serious health problems who was isolated and scared. Since then, I have also become a telephone friend to two people, a male and a female, both of whom for quite different reasons are somewhat isolated. I intend to begin a direct contact friendship with one of them when the necessary agreements are in place.
5. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? My initial reasons for volunteering were acknowledging during lockdown that I had a partner – and therefore company – and we could go out together walking etc. I felt that I was in a position to be around for folk who did not have this in their lives.
6. Sum up a typical day of volunteering for you? I am not sure that there is a typical day of volunteering for me, I telephone perhaps twice a week or so and have an enjoyable chat with both my friends.
7. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? Get involved if you wish to, seek advice if uncertain and get to know and build a relationship with whomever you are friends with. It’s great!

If you feel inspired to become a volunteer like Phil, or if you would like to get involved, please email [email protected]