THE ROYAL Voluntary Service in Carmarthenshire is encouraging more people
in the area to discover the joys of volunteering whilst keeping their
local community healthy and happy.
The leading national volunteering charity provides invaluable social
and practical support to people in need across the UK, including
Carmarthenshire.
One-way local volunteers improve the lives of people in Carmarthenshire
is by offering a community transport service. Volunteer drivers help by
taking clients to a community club, a regular appointment, by responding
to ad-hoc requests for transport or returning them home after a stay in
hospital.
The team at Carmarthenshire Country Cars now needs more
friendly volunteers to help them continue providing this life-enhancing
support to vulnerable and isolated people in the area.
Volunteer drivers use their own vehicles to provide a pleasant journey,
companionship and support to people going to and from their homes and
destinations. Volunteer expenses are covered.
However, it’s not just the people on the receiving end of the support
that benefit from volunteering.
As a result of donating their time, Royal Voluntary Service volunteers
report better physical health, mental health, and wellbeing, with 81% of
pandemic volunteers reporting an improvement in this*; new skills and
work experience; and a sense of connection to others in their community.
In a recent report, more than a third (38%) of Royal Voluntary Service
volunteers said that volunteering has also improved their confidence**.
Royal Voluntary Service encourages anyone who wants to make a positive
difference in their community and experience the countless benefits of
volunteering to step forward and learn more about roles in their area at
royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/volunteering [1].
Simon Rickard, Service Manager for Royal Voluntary Service
Carmarthenshire Country Cars, said: “Our brilliant team of volunteers
provide a lifeline for Carmarthenshire residents who would otherwise
struggle to make essential journeys. Because of our team, residents can
attend important medical appointments, do important shopping, or visit
sick friends or family. These are just a few of the ways our team makes
a difference.
“It’s terrific to see the positive impact our volunteers have on the
lives of those they support, and so many volunteers find helping others
also boosts their own health and wellbeing.
“We hugely appreciate anybody who generously donates their time to us,
and we look forward to welcoming new volunteers to our friendly team.”
Royal Voluntary Service is one of Britain’s largest volunteering
charities, with volunteers supporting the NHS and thousands of
vulnerable people in the community. The charity has delivered the NHS
Volunteer Responders programme for NHS England enabled by the GoodSAM
app, with volunteers responding to over 2.2 million requests for help
and supporting with over 300,000 shifts at vaccination sites.
The charity has also worked in local communities before, during and
since the Covid crisis running home libraries, companionship support,
home from hospital services and patient transport. Its Virtual Village
Hall provides live classes and tutorials on Facebook to promote
wellbeing and keep people active and occupied through the pandemic.
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