A CHARITY is looking to recruit more people to provide support for older members of the community in and around Okehampton and other parts of West Devon.

Many of the Royal Voluntary Service’s volunteers are over 65 themselves, and provide vital help for older people at home, in hospital and in the community.

Currently the charity has some 1,000 volunteers in Devon, but many more are needed to help support an ageing population.

‘We are looking for more volunteers to help us support older people, so if you have a few hours to spare or are looking for a way to get more involved in the community, we’d love to hear from you,’ said Lisa Knight, the RVS community development operations manager for south west England.

‘Whether it’s driving an older person to a social or hospital appointment, running a weekly lunch club, helping to co-ordinate or deliver books in our home library service or helping us with admin, we have local volunteering opportunities available right now for anyone with a few hours to give.

‘We appreciate that becoming a volunteer is a big decision, but our volunteers tell us that it’s one of the best decisions they’ve ever made. Getting out and about, learning new skills, making new friendships and the sense of personal satisfaction from making a positive difference to someone else’s life are just some of the benefits volunteers say they experience.

She added that research has shown that volunteers with older people are happier, healthier and less likely to be depressed or lonely.

Christine Wayne, aged 63, has been a Royal Voluntary Service volunteer with the Okehampton Library Home Delivery Service for four years. 

‘My job entails going to the local library and selecting suitable books for each client and delivering them every two weeks,’ she said. ‘My clients have very varied tastes but they all have one thing in common – they really appreciate the time and effort I give them. Some only want to read one sort of genre so introducing them (slowly) to new authors is particularly rewarding.

‘They love a chat and are always pleased to see me. We only have a small library in Okehampton so I have to order most of the books.  This has given me the opportunity to get to know the library staff as well. I would recommend this type of volunteering to anybody who likes to chat, be a good listener and helping people.’

Sorrel Scott-Carter, in her early sixties, also volunteers at Okehampton Library. 

‘When I retired, I knew that I’d still want a regular opportunity to meet people face to face,’ she said. ‘Hearing that I could join my local library’s Home Delivery Service run by Royal Voluntary Service was too much to refuse when it was suggested to me. I call it ‘books on wheels’ and after 18 months, I now have four readers whose lives and books I look forward to hearing about every fortnight.’

Lisa said that the contribution made by older people was often overlooked, but was invaluable given that the number of people aged 80 and over is set to double to six million in the next 20 years. The Royal Voluntary Service is supported by the People’s Postcode Lottery, and has 25,000 volunteers nationwide, including 1,000 in Devon.