Whether it’s greeting beneficiaries at our centres, phoning or meeting members of our retired community, helping in our café or working in the fire community, there are so many volunteering roles in our charity which make a vital difference.
Below you can hear from a few of our wonderful volunteers on why they got involved, as we celebrate Volunteers’ Week 2024.
Our Chief Executive, Sherine Wheeler, says: “This Volunteers’ Week, I have to say a great big thank you for the tremendous contribution of all of the volunteers who support our life-changing work.
“Every day our teams, staff and volunteers work tirelessly to help members of the fire and rescue community be well and live well and we couldn’t do this without the skills, the experience, the commitment and the time of our valued volunteers. Thank you so much for all you do.”
And remember, we have a number of roles available, whether online, over the phone, in communities or in our centres. Find out more here:
Rockey – volunteer in our Stables Café at Harcombe House:
Laurie Wylie – Telephone Befriender:
“I’m a wholetime firefighter at Glasgow Airport and this is a small way of helping people in my time off. We can share experiences, even though they’re years apart, and I find it really rewarding. I come off with a smile on my face.”
Amanda Normington – volunteer in our Stables Café at Harcombe House:
“My husband works away a couple of days a week, so I found myself stuck at home. It’s such a beautiful setting and you’re immediately made to feel welcome… I feel giving something back to the fire service where I can is important. The service they provide for us is amazing, and I’ve loved chatting with many of them through the role too.”
Paul ‘Pongo’ Watson – Visitor Services Volunteer at Marine Court:
“I essentially meet and greet beneficiaries at the start of their programme. Having received support myself previously, I can connect with them and it calms their nerves. It’s also enjoyable for me, because it brings back that fire service camaraderie you can lose when you retire.”
Hear more about our Visitor Service Volunteers here:
Alison Marshall – volunteer in our Stables Café at Harcombe House:
“I’m retired and it’s nice to feel connected still. I’m fortunate to have close friends and family, but it’s sometimes nice to connect with people outside of your sphere. I really enjoy the role itself, the people I work with are lovely and really personable. I’d highly recommend it.”
Andy Buttery – Living Well Group Co-ordinator:
“I really enjoy meeting everyone and each one can be so varied. My role involves organising the meetings and arranging a speaker. Then it’s all about enjoying a get together – it’s more about contact and chatting about old times than anything else.”
Caili Anderson Service Coordinator with Surrey FRS:
“I took up the role of Service Coordinator in Surrey around eight years ago and have never looked back. I did the London Marathon for the Charity in 2017 and I’ve also helped to get textile recycling back in Surrey, as well as launching the Santa’s Grottos last Christmas.
“Working closely with The Fire Fighters Charity has been wonderful and not only do I get to help out at fun events, I am helping to make sure that my colleagues get the best care possible to maintain a fit and healthy workforce.”
Kayleigh McInnes, Station Rep with Scottish FRS:
“I just always knew I wanted to do something meaningful. I’ve really enjoyed the role and I’d encourage anyone to take on a volunteering role like I have. It was a brand new job for me and it’s quite difficult to meet people and get to know them, but something like this can really help. It helps you, too. You’re obviously doing a really good thing!”
These are just a few of our many volunteer roles. You can see all available roles at www.firefighterscharity.org.uk/volunteer. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, please email us at volunteers@firefighterscharity.org.uk or call us on 01256 366580.
