Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 115 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
Meet James, one of our amazing young volunteers who regularly hangs out with his older neighbours like Francis, Daphne and Richard at our Social Clubs. James is like many young professionals in south London: he has a busy working life, a big personality and enjoys spending time with people in his community who he wouldn't usually have a chance to meet. He wanted to share how he's enjoyed getting to know his older neighbours so far.
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South London Cares is one of those ideas that instantly just makes sense. Everything about it is hands on and all about interaction, and the impact it has for older and younger people alike is clearly visible within the community.
I think everyone can relate to someone they have known who has become isolated as they have grown older. South London Cares gives you a chance to get involved at a personal level to prevent this from happening to people in your community . The structure is perfect for people who have busy lives and can only volunteer during evenings and weekends which would usually make most volunteering roles a challenge.
One of the best things about volunteering is how relaxed the atmosphere is, the only skill you need is the ability to drink tea and have a laugh. That said since I have been going, Les has taught me how to make a bird feeder, Richard has taught me value of poetry, and perhaps most importantly the ladies in Brixton have taught me how to bake a number of cakes and cookies...all valuable life skills!
There are two things that you take away from each social event. The first is the friendships you build up with the neighbours. Over a short period of time you find you really look forward to catching up with your neighbours over a quiz or movie night to find out how their week has been. Secondly, as many of the neighbours have lived in the area for a long time building connections with them really gives you a sense of being part of the local community. I could not recommend getting involved enough!
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Our older neighbours tell us all the time how much it means to them that young people want to spend time with them and how much fun they have at Social Clubs. James has only been volunteering for three months - and we can't wait for his new friendships to grow over the next three and beyond!