23/10/2026
⭐️ Volunteer Fridays: Meet Val – Volunteer Driver and Administrator! ⭐️
For Val, volunteering is more than getting someone to their destination. She finds a great deal of satisfaction in helping others, brightening up a lonely person’s day, and meeting new and interesting people.
Val took up volunteering soon after retirement, first choosing to help out in her local hospice. She first considered the role after her mum was in another hospice, and Val was so impressed by how well she was looked after that she felt inspired to help out herself. After ten years, she decided to move on from volunteering at the hospice, due to Covid restrictions and her husband’s ill health.
Three and a half years ago, Val started volunteering in the TVC offices. She found herself turning down journey requests in her local area due to a lack of drivers, and found it extremely difficult as she knew how much they needed the service. She realised that some of those journeys she could do herself, and so last year, she decided to take on volunteer driving as well!
Val’s favourite part of volunteering is being able to help others, and having the opportunity to talk to people. She’s noticed how lonely and isolated some people are, and spending a little time chatting to them can make such a big difference to their lives. Val says that lots of people are often seen just as being elderly and ill, but they’ve all had such interesting lives once you get talking to them.
Val has a soft spot for people with Parkinson’s, which is the same condition her sister suffers from, and finds helping them especially rewarding. She has developed friendships with the people she drives regularly, as well as their carers, and they’ve even invited Val to join them for a cuppa when she’s dropped them off.
Despite taking on two different volunteering roles, Val still finds plenty of time to do her favourite hobbies, which include walking, gardening, reading, Pilates, badminton and finding a good cup of coffee! Although Val has an extremely busy life, she still finds the time to do a few journeys a month, and we’re very lucky to have her on hand to step in when people who live near her have no other way of getting to vital appointments.
Val would recommend volunteering to everyone, and she says it’s really satisfying to be able to help others, and it makes you feel better about yourself and less selfish. It’s also helped her realise just how lucky she is, and has taught her not to take her life and health for granted.
Could you spare a few hours to help people in your local community?
We urgently need more volunteer drivers, and you don’t have to commit to every week. Even if, like Val, you can only spare a few hours every other week or so, you could make a real difference to someone’s quality of life. At TVC, we understand that volunteering needs to fit around work, family and other commitments. If you think you may be able to help, please give us a call on 01237237200 or email us on [email protected]
