Words by Smiley Team
You might dream of retirement and work-free weeks when you’re buried in full-time employment – but actually, when you get there, the opposite is likely to be true.
Many people who retire report losing their sense of purpose. And that's why neuroscientist Daviel Levitin has some pretty strong advice: stay busy. To keep you engaged, using your brain, socialising, and feeling a sense of purpose, volunteering could make all the difference.
And it’s important, too. Studies show too much time spent with no purpose is associated with unhappiness. So, filling your weeks with meaningful activities can make those who are retired feel more fulfilled.
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It’s something Anne Fleissig, from London, knows well. The retired former researcher has been a volunteer at FoodCycle Islington for five years now, and can be found cooking in the kitchens of their church most weeks.
“I used to be an academic health researcher, number crunching and writing at a computer all day,” she says. “The joy of being retired is being away from a desk, getting out and meeting people.
“I’ve done lots of volunteering since I retired, I used to read with children at a local shoot and did for years, and the bakery, but always felt I needed a change. The thing I love about FoodCycle is that no two sessions are the same and you’re doing it with a group of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds, completely different to my usual group of friends.
“But over the years those people, the regular volunteers, have actually become my friends. We all recently did the Christmas meal together for the guests and its just so nice, and it keeps evolving.”
Anne says she learns new skills “all the time” and absorbs other volunteers’ ideas. “I’ve learnt that I can lead, too, she says. “That’s generally because the bunch of volunteers that turn up like food and it’s collaborative; and I’ve got better at delegating. It also just helps me so much to be with people that are lonely and feel like you are contributing something.”
For Elspeth, 68, from Oxford, volunteering gives her the opportunity to further her passion of animals, as well as be part of a tight-knit group with similar interests.
She volunteers with Blue Cross, at the Burford Site with horses andcCats. “Horses are also a big part of my life, having owned my own for 8 years,” she says. “I chose this charity initially as it has such a wonderful reputation and I was interested in helping with the animals.”
Elspeth will go to the Horse Unit every Wednesday morning to give the ones who are seeing the vet a pamper. On a Thursday morning, she’ll be in the cattery, helping with their day to day needs. “It means a lot to be to be involved,” she says. “I really enjoy the comradery with the teams and gaining the trust of the animals.”
Making new friends and coming together as a team is something Judith Yeates, 61, from Aglionby, Carlisle, Cumbria, enjoys when volunteering. She volunteers with The Friends of Carlisle Victorian & Turkish Baths, and chose it because it’s a facility she – and many others – love in the city.
“I have enjoyed us coming together as a group of people who are like-minded and working together as a team for our Vision,” she says. “We have made lots of new friends which is priceless.”
Judith has given more than 1,000 hours volunteering time to the charity in the past 10 months, helping with lots of different tasks including meetings at the council, engaging the public, and helping out with the tours they do.
“My husband and I take on a lot of responsibility as our Chairman spends a lot of her time in London,” she says. “We then can be available to stand in for her where necessary. Good job we're retired!”
The charity means a lot to her as she was born and brought up in Carlisle and used to use the Turkish Baths.
“Belonging to the group in an effort to save and develop them was a 'no-brainer' for me," she says.
EMAIL US: Has volunteering had a positive impact on your life? We'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected].
VOLUNTEER: Find out more about volunteering opportunities near you at NCVO.
