Age Concern - Making a Difference.

As people grow older they find they have to make some important decisions, such as, where to live when they retire. Some find they need to pay bills but don't know how to. Some are unable to travel to do their daily shopping. People growing older may need help and one place where they can get support and advice is Age Concern.

Age concern is an organisation that has been providing support for all people over 50 in the UK, for more than 60 years, ensuring they get the most from life. The organisation is made up of over 50,000 people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds. The volunteers are companions to the elderly; they are able to offer day car services and advice. They help older people with paying their bills, deciding on which nursing home to go to and dealing with disputes with neighbours.

At the moment Age Concern is in need of more volunteers. Lucy Quaye, Coordinator for Age Concern said,

As more rest homes and care homes are closing down, there is a greater demand for volunteers to help the people who are affected

Volunteers are important to Age Concern and Lucy also said,

If we didn't have volunteers the organisation would just come to a stop

So it is important that they have more volunteers. Age Concern is looking for people who are reliable, as older people depend on the volunteers. They are also looking for people who will keep confidentiality. Information about anyone is completely confidential, which means not discussing his or her situation with anybody outside of Age Concern.

Volunteers need to be dedicated to helping an older person and respect their older views. The time volunteers give to age concern depends on their roles; some roles need regular commitment and others can be arranged more flexibly. Age Concern help to match volunteers' skills and time with roles that are available. There is no specific experience needed as volunteers receive all the information, support and training to help to give their best.

Volunteers can do many things such as,

working with an elderly person directly,
working on the information and advice service
working in one of the Age Concern shops

one of which is situated on Nantwich Road.

Being a volunteer at Age Concern has enabled people to get the enjoyment of working as part of a team, meet new people and get the rewarding feeling of making a real difference to someone's life. It has also allowed people to get experience in new situations.