‘Every day is rewarding'
Barbara Greene found solace by working with the charity that supported her
WHY NOT VOLUNTEER?
After losing her husband of almost 40 years, Barbara Greene felt utterly lost. Mike had only been in his 60s when he’d died of an asbestos-related disease and it felt so unfair.
“I was devastated,” she recalls. “I just missed him being there. He always made me smile.”
Determined not to become a “burden” to her family and friends, Barbara (79) was reluctant to talk about her feelings. But within weeks of Mike’s funeral she realised she needed support and contacted the bereavement counselling service offered by Age UK Tameside.
Every week, a representative visited her at her Manchester home and Barbara was able to open up about her deep sadness. With their help, she started coming to terms with her loss. She also realised she needed to do something to get her life back on track. “I knew that if I stayed at home on my own day after day, I would never move on and only feel worse,” she says.
Her answer was to help others by becoming a volunteer for the very charity that was helping her. Nineteen years on, she’s still there. “It was the best thing I’ve ever done,” she says. “Just being with others and talking became a lifeline. It also feels good to give something back.”
Initially, Barbara helped out at a new dementia group and she has since carried out a variety of roles.
114 YOURS EVERY FORTNIGHT
Today she volunteers three to four days a week and helps run a social club for over 55s – greeting people and serving lunch. “Every day has been rewarding,” she says. “It’s so good to see people who were suffering improving little by little.”
Cheerful, fun-loving Lyn, 70s, from Sussex, enjoys travelling at home/abroad, eating out, theatre and socialising. She would like to meet a man with a good sense of humour, for friendship, maybe more.
Frien
