Volunteering Role of the Month - Home Delivery Volunteer!

Each month we highlight a volunteering role and tell you a little more about it, with the help of one of our current volunteers!

This month's role is Home Delivery Volunteer

Home Delivery Befriending Volunteers help customers who are unable to visit the library themselves due to health or mobility issues. They pick up and deliver books to our vulnerable customers in their homes, and spend some time chatting with them about their reading choices. This enables our homebound service users to continue to have access to books and other library materials which may provide a lifeline for those living alone or who are unable to get out very often. It also allows them to have someone to talk to and check on their safety and wellbeing.  

Our Community Maker Gill, who's helping out as a Home Delivery Volunteer, tells us a bit more:

"I became a library volunteer in 2021 and my role involves delivering to and collecting from people who, for a range of reasons, can’t get to their local library. This can be one or two books, or two large bags of books and/or audio books. When I joined the scheme I was asked whether I would like to devote a regular day to the work or do it on a flexible basis. I chose the second partly because sometimes grand-parenting things crop up and partly because I wanted  the freedom to be away from home occasionally without keeping anyone waiting for their books.

I volunteered because I’ve always loved and valued libraries and interacting with people about books. I was made aware of the work done through the Inspire Click and Collect service by a friend and neighbour who had previously had this role. She thought I might enjoy it - and she was right !

For anyone thinking of volunteering, I would urge them to go ahead because the rewards are considerable. It’s been really good to meet people outside my normal social circle and to do something that’s useful and much appreciated."