SHININGA SPOTLIGHTON VOLUNTEERING

Shining a spotlight – An amazing week spent working withRevitalise!

Revitalise is a national charity that runs 3 purpose-built holiday respite centres for disabled people and their carers across the country. It is one of the only organisations for specialised care breaks and has gained support from the likes of actress Dame Judi DenchandBBCpresenterDameEstherRantzen!Overthe Easter holidays, I was fortunate enough to spend one week volunteering at Jubilee Lodge in Essex, one of the Revitalise centres, where I met some lovely people and decidedIwantedtosharemyexperiencetopromotean inspiringorganisation.

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When Revitalise was founded 60 years ago by founding trustee Joan Brander MBE, it was known as the Winged FellowshipTrust.Theideabehindthecharitywastooffer eventhesmallestavailableperiodofrespite,topeoplein desperate need of it Fundamentally, the 3 main objectivesofRevitalisehavechangedminimallyoverthe 60yearssinceitsfounding Theseinclude:

-Providing specially equipped centres where disabled peopleareprovidedtheopportunitytorelaxandrestore theirwellbeingwhilsthavinganenjoyablebreak.

-Providing support for family carers, with 24/7careavailabletoanyonewhoneedsit. -Providing residential volunteering opportunities to enrich the guests’ experience!

Asavolunteerstayingforaweeksomewhere whereIwasunfamiliarwiththesurroundings, peopleandtypeofwork,Iwasapprehensive leadinguptomystayatJubileeLodge.Little didIknowhowfuntheweekaheadwouldbe! My typical day consisted of eating meals at thesametableasafewoftheguests,where I would assist as necessary, followed by washing up and clearing away. In between meals, the other volunteers and I would accompany the guests up the road to the picturesque nature reserve and stables or participate in in-house activities such as painting and quiz night; we even decorated themainloungeandhostedateapartyfora guest’s70thbirthday!

My week with Revitalise was refreshing and I can confidently say I have come out of it having learned a lot from everyone I worked with. Mostly, having observed all the staff interact with the guests, I would encourage reflectiononhowwespeaktopeople.

AtRevitalise,everyonewastreatedandspokentowiththesamecompassion and enthusiasm, whether they had a disability or not. The same inclusivity shouldbeadvocatedinourday-to-dayenvironment,andIbelieveweshould actpositivelyagainstdiscrimination.Revitalisealsoofferedsuchanenjoyable experience, and I left having made lots of new friends. I would encourage anyone who can get involved and volunteer within the community, whether local or far, to make the most of every opportunity to make an uplifting change! Thankyouforreading.