Going for gold while volunteering with Brendoncare

For two of Brendoncare’s team, volunteering has been very much a personal mission.

As part of their work towards the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, Maya Exelby (pictured right) and Isi Murphy (left) became Brendoncare volunteers for 12 months. This is an element in the activities programme that young people undertake towards attaining their Gold Awards.

Maya and Isi tell us what their work for Brendoncare entailed and what they got out of it.

Following her year as a volunteer, Maya is now the proud holder of a DoE Gold Award. She says:

“I completed 12 months of volunteering for Brendoncare from August 2020 to 2021. My role involved making and writing cards to older people who were experiencing loneliness as a result of the lockdowns at that time.

“I really liked that the role helped me to feel connected to people during the lockdowns. Due to the pandemic, there were limited opportunities to volunteer in person so this was a good way to support my local community.

“I would definitely recommend Brendoncare as a place to volunteer for any DofE level or any other reason.

“It is a great opportunity to carry out volunteering remotely. I am really proud to have completed Gold DofE. Although it took a lot of effort and commitment to achieve the award, the skills I gained and the memories I made along the way made it a worthwhile experience. After finishing the award, I was invited to visit Buckingham Palace which was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I’ll never forget!”

Isi has completed all the elements of her Gold Award and is now waiting to receive it.

She says:

“I started as a phone volunteer with Brendoncare in August 2021 as part of my Gold DofE’s 12 months of volunteering.

“Since I enjoyed this, I continued to volunteer with Brendoncare and currently phone three people to offer them a friendly chat and support.

“I really value the bonds that you form with Brendoncare members.  It is very fulfilling to feel that you are giving back to your community and hopefully, brightening up someone’s day. It is interesting learning about other people’s lives and experiences. I have gained more knowledge and awareness through attending Zoom sessions on topics such as Dementia and keeping warm during the cost of living crisis.

“Overall, I would definitely recommend volunteering at Brendoncare. You will gain invaluable skills and join an amazing community of people who are dedicated to improving the quality of life for older people.

“After submitting my Gold DofE, I am flying to Canada to work at a camp for children with special needs before going to Bath University to study Chemical Engineering with Environmental Engineering.”

If you are a young person currently working towards your Duke of Edinburgh Award, we would love to hear from you if you would like to undertake your volunteering work with us.

Just drop us a line or give us a call if you would like to find out more about what volunteering opportunities are available with Brendoncare.