Living with dementia magazine April 2011

From befriending people to raising awareness of dementia, the Society's volunteers - many of them former carers - are involved in various aspects of our work.

The Society's 4,700 volunteers are a diverse group of people who choose to support us for many different reasons. From providing administrative support and helping out at support groups to sitting on research grant panels and running marathons, our volunteers' skills, time and efforts keep the Society going.

Pratheep Suntaramoorthy, Befriender

Pratheep, 25, has been volunteering with the Leicestershire Befriending service for four years and gains great satisfaction from his role. Every week, he visits Mussa Majothti, who has Alzheimer's disease and lives alone.

Pratheep says,

'I went to the Leicester community centre looking to do some volunteering while doing my undergraduate degree. There were quite a few opportunities there but the befriending scheme seemed to be a lot more hands-on than the others.'

Before seeing Pratheep, Mr Majothti had been feeling isolated. He hadn't been into Leicester town centre for two years as he was afraid he would get lost. Now, Pratheep regularly takes him out to restaurants and into Leicester, which has given him the confidence to go out on his own.

'The year before I met Mr Majothti his wife had passed away. He did a lot with her and I think he felt a bit lonely. When I visit it brings him a bit of companionship and enables him to do things he wouldn't normally do.'

Mr Majothti, whose first language is Gujarati, also lacked confidence in speaking English, but his weekly chats with Pratheep have improved this.

For Pratheep, who is currently studying medicine, his time with Mr Majothti has helped him understand the growing problem of dementia and he hopes to continue working with people with the condition.

Bob Tann, Support Services volunteer

For Bob Tann, 73, volunteering for Alzheimer's Society in Redbridge is his way of giving something back after the support the Society gave to his wife, Wendy. Wendy was diagnosed with early-onset Pick's disease in 1997 and died in 1999.

Bob says,

'From 1998 I took Wendy to a group for younger people with dementia known as the Tuesday group, where she was looked after for the day. She was very happy there and it meant I could devote time to whatever needed to be done at home. After she died I kept in contact and became a volunteer because it seemed like a good chance to give something back.'

Now, Bob volunteers every Tuesday at the same group Wendy attended, and at another group on Thursday afternoons. He provides activities such as quizzes, card games, gardening as well as trips to local parks, museums and places of interest.

Bob says,

'My role ranges from doing the washing up to providing entertainment. In summer I help the clients plant seeds in the garden. The group is as varied as we make it. What counts is that the clients enjoy their day.'

Bob also knows that his help provides an essential service for carers. He says,

'I volunteer because of the satisfaction of helping someone, that's the simplest way of putting it.'

Valerie Guthrie, Information Support volunteer

Throughout Billy Gurney's eight-year battle with Alzheimer's disease, his family had little in the way of support. Following Billy's death aged 64, his daughter Valerie Guthrie decided to raise the profile of Alzheimer's Society in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

Valerie, 37, says,

'Although we started to go to a carers' meeting shortly before daddy died, up until then we had no help from anybody. There was no Alzheimer's Society office in our area.'

Valerie's particular passion is raising awareness of dementia. This has led to more funding and donations, which in turn has led to the availability of more services and support in Antrim and Ballymena.

Valerie says,

'We put stands up in local shopping centres and the local hospital and I do talks at groups like the WI or church meetings. I tend to start off with the facts and figures about dementia and finish with my personal story which people seem to relate to. I think doing this really helps to break down barriers and makes it easier for people to approach us and ask questions.'

As well as raising awareness, Valerie is involved in local support groups and fundraising events. She dedicates between 15 and 20 hours a week to the Society. She says,

'I would really encourage people to get involved because it is so rewarding being able to help people through this journey.'

How you can get involved

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in volunteering for the Society. Volunteering is flexible, ranging from a few hours a year to several hours a week.

Volunteers help us deliver local services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and at our central office in London. Although roles vary between areas depending on need and current vacancies, volunteers assist with the following areas:

• administrative support
• befriending services
• campaigning activities
• carer support groups
• fundraising
• lunch clubs
• Memory Walk
• Virgin London Marathon

All volunteers are supported through induction and training and receive ongoing support from the Society. Volunteers are also given a named contact and are refunded for any out-of-pocket expenses.

To find out more about volunteering contact you local Alzheimer's Society office. You can also find out more and apply for any existing roles at alzheimers.org.uk/volunteers  or call our central volunteering enquiry line on 0845 504 9300.