Could you knock on a stranger's door and have a chat? Well, in February, that's exactly what a group of our fantastic volunteers did. In this blog, Sophie shares how she got on when she helped out with our Winter Wellbeing project.
There’s not much that can rouse me from my bed at the weekend.
So rest assured, anything which results in me reporting to Kentish Town for 10am on a Saturday is always going to be important. And in this case it certainly was.
Last Saturday morning, Alex, Joe and a small group of North London Cares volunteers, including myself, ventured out in the cold and drizzle to knock on doors around Kentish Town and initiate conversations with some of our older neighbours, offering them winter blankets, small grants to assist with their heating bills, a reminder about flu jabs, and an introduction to the work of North London Cares.
"Your first conversation is bound to be the hardest."
If, like me, you're a shy person, the thought of knocking door to door can seem a little daunting. However, the briefing provided by Joe and Alex was perfect for calming any nerves. I was in Joe’s group and he did a great job of talking us through how to start a dialogue, important things to mention (such as that we’re working alongside the council) and giving us a flavour as to how the conversations would go.
By this point – armed with knowledge, a rucksack full of information to give out, and an appreciation for the difference we were about to make to the lives of some of our older neighbours – we were raring to go!
Your first conversation is bound to be the hardest, but as you progress from door to door you find yourself quickly growing in confidence. Whilst some older neighbours initially appeared surprised to have a stranger at their door, on learning the nature of the visit, they generally relaxed. The worst anyone in my group had to deal with was disinterest from a happy, fit and healthy neighbour. Which when you think about it, is actually a great result!
A number of neighbours expressed interest in Social Clubs and the Love Your Neighbour scheme, and several said that whilst they don’t require support now they would keep the information for the future. Hopefully, at the very least, we left everyone with a positive impression of North London Cares and reminded them that there’s someone out there who cares.
"Everyone...left feeling that they had touched someone’s life in a small way."
A highlight for me was speaking to a lovely lady from the Philippines who was unsure whether she is receiving all the financial support she is eligible for. The council will contact her regarding this, and whilst she may not receive anything further, her mind at least will be put to rest. As we were leaving, she told me how grateful she was for the support and how much she enjoyed our chat. I said that perhaps I’d see her again sometime at a Social Club, and whilst she didn’t confirm this, she didn’t deny it either!
Volunteering as part of the Winter Wellbeing programme was a thoroughly rewarding experience and a very worthwhile way to pass a few hours of a Saturday morning. Everyone in my group had at least one notably positive interaction and left feeling that they had touched someone’s life in a small way.
The Winter Wellbeing project provided a very different opportunity for involvement to the Saturday social events I usually attend and left me with a better understanding of how the outreach aspect of a charity works. I will not hesitate to get involved again next year!
If you want to read more about the difference our Winter Wellbeing project makes, check out our reports
Posted by NLC Volunteer on Monday 22nd February 2016
This blog was written by one of NLC's amazing family of volunteers.
