Ageless Thanet volunteers are an integral part of our vision to make Thanet a great place to grow older, they are involved across all areas of the project and help us in reducing isolation and loneliness, empowering communities, improving peoples’ mental and physical wellbeing and ensuring older peoples’ voices are heard.
Volunteering also has a positive impact on those who volunteer. Linda is one person who has reaped the benefits of volunteering with us at Ageless Thanet, running weekly French and Spanish lessons.
Linda said:“Volunteering with Ageless Thanet has kept me busy and focused on something I really enjoy. It has got me out of the house for what I like doing; teaching languages and meeting people. I moved to Thanet in 2017, volunteering has helped me avoid being lonely. If I hadn’t joined I would have remained isolated at home.”
Our volunteers can give a little time when it suits them, stop when life changes and be welcomed back in the future, with our full support. Linda has appreciated the flexibility that volunteering offers, as she has been able to take a break over the summer whilst she tutors students, she hopes to return to volunteering in a couple of months.
We believe there is a volunteering opportunity for everyone, regardless of qualifications of experience. You might like to use specific skills (such as a language or an art specialism), share your own interests (like walking or a specific craft such as knitting) or perhaps you would like to offer a friendly welcoming face to people looking to share a coffee and chat with others at our Coffee Get-Togethers. We are here to help anyone that can give a little of their time, so if you would like to volunteer we would love for you to get in touch. Please call the office on 01843 210005, or email [email protected].
We would like to run additional activities led by our volunteers in more areas of Thanet, but we need venues to run the groups from. If you would be willing to let us use your venue space free of charge to deliver some fantastic activities, please let us know.
Ageless Thanet, led by Social Enterprise Kent, is part of Ageing Better, a programme set up by The National Lottery Community Fund. Ageing Better aims to develop creative ways for older people to be actively involved in their local communities, helping to combat social isolation and loneliness. For more information about Ageless Thanet, please visit our website – www.agelessthanet.org.uk, or call 01843 210005.
