By K at e H a r g r e av e s
DARTFORD GIVING By Kate Hargreaves
This month’s Dartford Giving isn’t what I’d first envisaged for a December volunteering article. Normally, there are lots of ways to help the vulnerable at Christmas. Normally, there are homeless shelters where you can volunteer in a wide variety of roles from chef to manicurist to sports co-ordinator. Normally, you can fill a shoe box with presents to help those in refuges, in homeless centres, in care homes. Normally, there are campaigns that need volunteers to collect winter coats to help keep the homeless a little bit warmer. But 2020 isn’t normal. So instead we can turn our attention a bit closer to home; after all, they do say that charity begins at home… You can reach out to those close to you, and maybe even those a little bit further away too. Some suggestions for how you might like to do this are outlined below.
walk outside with one person from another household, and this is such a great way of encouraging people to talk. Sitting across a table from someone with a cup of tea can inadvertently be quite intimidating if there are difficult topics to address, but going outside for a walk in the fresh air, potentially with some nice scenery and with some endorphins flowing from the gentle exercise can be the perfect way to have more in-depth conversations. Mental health-focussed peer support groups such as Mental Health Mates and Walk Talk Walk are founded on this principle. Sending Christmas cards If you’ve got out of the habit of sending cards, this might be the year to get back into it. Writing a bit more than the obligatory sentiments might boost your own mood and the recipient’s, as well as giving you a chance to update them on any new hobbies you’ve taken up in the year of the lockdown (and yes this includes talking about your addiction to The Crown or The Undoing).
If you start writing and just don’t want to stop, why not write a couple of extra cards to an unknown recipient and post them to a local care home, asking the staff to give them to a resident who does not have many visitors? Similarly, I’m sure the hard-working NHS staff at Darent Valley Hospital or your local GP office won’t be averse to receiving some well wishes showing your support Having meaningful conversations with friends and gratitude. and family How are you doing? How are you really doing? Asking people this simple question twice can get an entirely different response. Sometimes people closest to us may be facing challenges that we’re not even aware of, especially this year and over these cold, dark winter months. Letting someone know that you are there for them, to have a proper conversation, can really help. Given the rules in the recent second lockdown, it is likely that we will maintain the freedom to go for a
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Happy New Year If you’d like to chat about any of the above, or are feeling a bit lonely at the moment and would like to have meaningful conversation, feel free to email me at kate@ dartfordliving.com. Dartford Giving will return in the New Year with more ways that you can volunteer in the local community. Until then, stay safe and stay connected.
