Volunteer Centre East Sussex is a countywide service, set up as a hub of expertise, with support from each of the three Councils for Voluntary Services.

We are the nationally accredited Volunteer Centre for East Sussex - promoting, supporting and developing volunteering across the county.

Contact Us:

Brenda Bruzon
Volunteering Coordinator (individual support)

Lee Shepherd
Volunteering Development Officer (group support)
 

01323 301 757

info@vces.org.uk

www.vces.org.uk

'Ask the Expert' Gives People Confidence to Volunteer

Volunteering had been on Carol’s mind for quite some time. The problem? She just didn’t know where to begin.

“I had no clue what was out there,” she said. “I didn’t know what volunteers did or what I could offer.”

All that changed, however, when Carol attended one of Volunteer Centre East Sussex’s ‘Ask the Expert’ sessions at Eastbourne library where she spoke with a Volunteering Champion – an experienced, local volunteer who answered her questions about volunteering, discussed current volunteering opportunities and advised on how to find the perfect role.

"It just gave me so much confidence and made me realise there was no harm in trying,” she said. “It made me determined to go ahead with it.”

Carol’s informal chat with the Volunteering Champion gave her a better idea of the types of roles available in the area, which included several opportunities involving reception duties she thought she might enjoy.

Equipped with greater knowledge and self-confidence following ‘Ask the Expert’, Carol contacted Age Concern Eastbourne, an independent local charity dedicated to older people and their families in Eastbourne and the surrounding areas, and enquired about a half day per week role on their busy reception desk. She soon met a member of staff and was shown around the organisation’s premises in the William and Patricia Venton Centre in Junction Road.

Carol liked what she saw and, before long, had completed her first shift on reception. “I went home absolutely buzzing,” she recalled. From giving people information and listening to smiling and saying ‘thank you’, Carol said “you just feel good doing it.”

“Reception is such an important role,” said Lisa Gillette, Director of Services at Age Concern Eastbourne. “You can see the difference it makes to people.”

And volunteers at Age Concern Eastbourne certainly make a big difference – from reception to leading group activities to staffing the organisation’s area charity shops. “We couldn’t do our work without our volunteers – they’re the heart of this organisation,” said Lisa.

Age Concern Eastbourne’s positive and open approach is certainly working. “I’ve never felt like ‘just’ a volunteer,” said Carol. “I feel part of something when I come to the centre.”

So much so, in fact, that Carol will soon be volunteering another half day per week. “I’m absolutely delighted,” she said, flashing a smile.

If you’ve been thinking about volunteering and would like to find out more, you can drop-in to an ‘Ask the Expert’ session at Eastbourne library on 28 October or 25 November from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon or at Bexhill library on 5 November from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. For more information, please visit www.vces.org.uk. Age Concern Eastbourne is also currently looking for volunteers – please visit www.ageconcerneastbourne.org.uk or ring 01323 638 474 for more information.