20 June 2018

Focus on…volunteers at Anisha Grange

Our residents thoroughly enjoy meeting and interacting with a range of people living in their local community. Our team of volunteers are full of energy and enthusiasm and we value the contribution they make throughout our family of homes.

We caught up with the volunteers at Anisha Grange, our multi-award-winning care home in Billericay, to find out how they became a volunteer and what they love about being a helping hand to our homes’ fascinating residents.

Carole Bendrey’s story:

My husband went into Anisha Grange for respite care in February 2012. He went in on a Friday but sadly died on the following Friday. I started volunteering not long after that. I decided to volunteer because of all of the love, kindness and care that he received in his short stay at Anisha Grange.

I volunteer one day a week, on a Monday, but I am happy to go in on other occasions if needed or on outings. On Monday mornings I assist with the seated exercises and in the afternoon with the Anisha Grange Choir.

What I most enjoy about volunteering is building relationships with residents and helping the excellent team at Anisha Grange. Since I started volunteering, I feel more confident in helping residents, particularly those who need more support and care.

I really look forward to my Mondays at Anisha. I love the residents and have great admiration for all of the team.

Sara Peters’ story:

I started volunteering at Anisha Grange in April 2018. As I still work full time, I volunteer for a few hours on a Saturday morning. I became a volunteer because the older generation have fabulous stories and as I am a good listener as well as a chatterbox. I thought that the idea of one-to-one would be great for us both!

Volunteering at Anisha Grange could involve watching a film, playing Scrabble or Rummikub, chatting, strolling through the beautiful gardens, assisting with meal times, doing jigsaws. I like volunteering because I enjoy making people happy and being good company to somebody who wants companionship.

Volunteering at Anisha Grange has also developed me as an individual as I have more of an understanding of dementia and how to engage with a resident who is living with dementia.

The residents, other volunteers and the team at Anisha Grange have all made me feel very welcome. It’s a great place to help out and I look forward to my visits each week.

From helping out in the garden, singing along in our choir and having a chat over a cup of tea, there are lots of ways you can volunteer and make a difference. To find out more about our volunteering opportunities, click here.

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