Why I love volunteering! By John Dilley

For Volunteers’ Week, we asked long-term Tea Room volunteer John Dilley to tell us about his experience of volunteering with Style Acre. John has volunteered at the Tea Room for over 9 years! He helps in the kitchen, front of house and with lots of maintenance jobs. He’s also a regular volunteer with the Style Acre fundraising team at events.

So tell us John, what’s so good about volunteering with Style Acre?

To reference a line from a famous song: “Who wants to be a volunteer?”

When asked why they want to be a volunteer most people say to give something back into the community.

That’s great – but it’s much more than that. I believe being a volunteer should provide two-way benefits. Firstly, to the organisation and secondly to yourself because if you don’t gain personal fulfilment by volunteering then you shouldn’t do it.

A key attribute I believe is the willingness to turn your hand to do anything

Being flexible in any task you are given is a great quality of a volunteer. Easing work-load will enable key staff more time to deliver the goals of Style Acre in helping the people we are here to support and also the essential fundraising needed to keep this important charity ticking over.

Volunteering for Style Acre has offered me so many opportunities

The best being that you instantly become part of a team that provides many different elements of work experience. There are so many inspirational people working within the organisation and it is a real privilege to know them.

My volunteering role has been a lot of fun providing so many new experiences. Where else would you see more than 200 Santa’s running around Wallingford or the Big Boss abseiling down Dorchester Abbey? – examples of fundraising events for Style Acre that I have been involved with! It has also been great fun too in helping at the Tea room summer fete and Christmas grotto as a part-time elf.

My greatest enjoyment has been working with the adults we support in the Tea room

I love meeting new people – both work colleagues, people we support and our customers. Everyone can bring their own skills gained during a previous working life and will also acquire new skills from the expert team at Style Acre who provide excellent in-house training for the many different aspects of the work they do.

As a volunteer I look forward to going to work every time.

Who wants to be a volunteer? I DO!!

Thank you so much John for your enthusiasm and dedication!

If you’re interested in volunteering with Style Acre, take a read of our volunteering page and get in touch! We’d love to welcome you to the Style Acre family.