Volunteer Stories
“I like the camaraderie. People are always so pleased to see you and that’s lovely.
Heather
Heather is Boaz’s longest-serving volunteer. She started soon after Boaz was founded in 2007. Apart from two breaks, when she provided childcare for her grandchildren, the retired primary school teacher has supported Boaz ever since. “Very few volunteers leave. Most enjoy being here. I really like gardening and being outside in such a lovely environment. The springs and summers at Boaz are wonderful.”
What has she learnt? “Maybe I have learnt a bit of patience because you have to go at a slower rate. I normally rush around.” Asked to describe Boaz in one word, Heather, who volunteers one day a week, said: “inspiring.”

Alan
“I’m a cow person. I’ve never really worked with people before,” said retired farmer Alan who volunteers on Wednesday mornings with his wife Angie, a former carer. Alan, 66, said: “I would never have come on my own to Boaz. The first few times I was terrified. I didn’t think I could work with people, let alone disabled people. But Boaz is agriculture- based and I like hands-on manual work, so I just got stuck into that side of things. And once I got to know the members, I fitted in very well. Everyone is so friendly and easy to get along and that helps.” Alan’s farming expertise came in useful when the Boaz hens stopped laying eggs. He suggested several changes – and egg production soon tripled.

Barbara
“I felt at home at Boaz on my first afternoon,” said Barbara, 67, who has volunteered one afternoon a week for the past seven years. It’s an incredibly friendly place; like one big, joyous family.” Her sessions at Boaz have, she says, been among the happiest times she has had since being widowed. A ‘people person’, she became a volunteer after her husband died and her three children grew up and left home. “At Boaz, there is a sense of togetherness and purpose. You are helping people create and do things. It’s very worthwhile. There’s a real buzz and it’s never dull. The members can completely surprise you with all their abilities, knowledge and personalities.”

Derek
Derek, 85, first got involved with Boaz after meeting two founder trustees at Scottish dancing classes which he still enjoys, albeit at a walking pace. The retired RAF engineer, who also served as a Boaz trustee for five years, said: “I told them “I can give you half a day per week and that increased to one day.” Today – 10 years later – he’s still volunteering. “I’m more than happy to help and I enjoy it. It’s part of my weekly routine. I can’t do the heavier work or run up a ladder anymore, but I can still cut up wooden kits for members to make planters and bird boxes. Asked to sum up Boaz in one word Derek said: “Friendship.”

Lydia
“It doesn’t matter whether you come here feeling happy or sad, you always leave with a smile on your face. It’s the feelgood factor,” said Lydia. The 21-year-old university student chose Boaz as a 70-hour placement for her Psychology degree. Having thoroughly enjoyed the experience, she plans to return as a volunteer when university breaks up for the summer. “I love helping on the craft side as I’m an artsy person and find colouring and drawing therapeutic. But I’ve also learnt a lot of practical skills. I had never been on a farm before. I thought I would be supporting the members, but they have been the ones showing me how to feed the chickens and what to do on the horticultural side. It’s a brilliant project; mutually beneficial.”

Carolyn
Former café owner Carolyn is usually to be found in the kitchen at Boaz where she has volunteered one morning a week since 2017. “The kitchen is my domain, though I enjoy helping with crafts too,” said the semi-retired mum-of-three who still bakes cakes professionally. “It’s quite humbling working with the members – to see how you can encourage and help bring them on. Just value them as people and see what they can achieve.” Carolyn said there are some unexpected benefits of volunteering. “You think you are coming here to help members, but it lifts the spirits working and learning with them. You get more out of it than necessarily you feel you are putting in.”

Lucy
“Boaz is a very friendly and inclusive place – and I like the fact it’s quite relaxed, too,” said Lucy who has volunteered one morning a week for the past three years. “I like the camaraderie. People are always so pleased to see you and that’s lovely. It also appeals to me because I was brought up on a farm and I fancied doing something semi-outdoors,” added Lucy, who has two grown-up children and whose previous jobs included working as learning support assistant and running her own curtain making business. In her spare time, she enjoys sailing and painting. “I’m a very practical, sporty, outdoorsy person who is also creative and artistic. I like the variety at Boaz.”
