Judi has been volunteering at Willenhall Chart since September 2022 but you could say she’s been helping people as a volunteer from a very young age!
“My dad always told me to help people. He used to look after his own garden, the neighbours’ and help the people across the road with their garden too! My day used to grow everything in his garden and give it away. He grew flowers in the front garden and every Saturday morning he would make bunches of flowers up and I had to take them to various people in the neighbourhood. They would give me a half crown and I was allowed to keep it! Then, me and a friend used to mow the lawns for the bungalows at the bottom of the road but my parents didn’t allow us to accept any money, we were allowed to keep the sweets or fruit we were given for that!”
It might not be gardening that Judi regularly gets involved in at the centre but she certainly never stops with other volunteering roles!
“I run a film afternoon every Monday from 1pm – 4pm; showing a different film every week and catering for everyone there. On Tuesday, I run a coffee morning here between 10am – 12pm serving drinks, biscuits, tea and toast and then there’s the Young at Heart Club every Friday. Young at Heart is for the over 55’s and runs from 11am – 2.30 where everyone gets a fresh cooked meal with a sweet. We play bingo and I do the calling for that too!”
It was in fact the Young at Heart Club that originally brought Judi to the centre as she came along to join the group, (until then, Judi had never heard of Willenhall Chart Centre!), but her Volunteering story starts a long time before that.
“I got custody of my granddaughter when she was aged just 2 and a half so I gave up work to look after her. Due to her trauma, I was in and out of school collecting her a lot. I decided to start volunteering as a way of earning my benefits so no one could say I was dole-dosing. I got a volunteering role at The Davy Unit Day Centre at Cannock Hospital and was there for many years until it closed. I moved onto another day centre in Great Wyrley and, when that closed also, me and the cook travelled to different day centres to volunteer, cooking meals, including Christmas dinner. I then moved to Cherry Tree Court in Essington where I volunteered for nine years in the kitchen, doing 1;1’s being on the committee, organising special days and events and even doing the bingo! I used to do a trolley that sold all sorts of things at the Davy Centre and at Christmas, this enabled the older users of the services who couldn’t get out to shops to be able to buy surprise presents for their family”.
Judi sadly left Cherry Court after being dismissed as a volunteer but her desire to help others led her to Willenhall to eventually run the group she arrived to join in as a user!
“I was not supposed to form friendships and needed to be like a robot, not showing emotions. I was first in the queue when they gave out emotions!”
It's clear from talking to Judi that along with her variety of volunteering roles at different places, she has a passion to help others and make a difference to people’s lives. That is evidenced further by her nomination by Chair of Willenhall Chart Centre, Wayne Palmer, for the recent 50 for WM 50 Volunteering awards.
“I had an email out of the blue about eight weeks ago from someone I didn’t know asking me if I won an award, would I accept it. I thought it was a scam! Three weeks later, I had another email to say I had been selected and been invited to the awards ceremony. I came into the centre and mentioned it and found out it was true!”
The award ceremony was the 50th Anniversary of the creation of the county of the West Midlands and was held at The Great Hall within The University of Birmingham.
“It has been 50 years since the West Midlands was formed between seven areas. From each of those seven areas, there were 50 volunteers nominated. Those 50 each took a guest so there was a total 700 people there at the ceremony. It was amazing to see everyone in the room. I took my friend Maureen as my guest as she has helped me with my anxiety so much. She volunteers with me at Young at Heart and we have a lot of fun together; after the Jude Bellingham goal at the world cup, she instigated a chorus of “Hey Jude” with the group chat! Everyone was saying how they had the best Jude here!
“At the awards ceremony, Historian, Karl Chin from Birmingham was present to give a talk, the volunteers who ran the Birmingham games in 2022 were present also. It was a big event before the Lord Lieutenant, Sir John Crabtree, retired. He read out a letter sent from HRH King Charles offering his heart felt thanks to all the volunteers and the work that they do; highlighting that the country could not run without volunteers and that they are the unsung heroes of the country. That had me in tears. There were Bhangra drums played to different music like Bob Marley and Queen and that was amazing. There was a Gospel choir and the buffet food was beautiful. All the cupcakes had 50 50 on them to celebrate – I bought some back to share with everyone at the chart!”
Judi’s advice to others who might be thinking of volunteering is
“go for it. You make new friends, you meet amazing people, the team I work with are amazing and they can’t do enough for the people who come here. They are brilliant bunch of people. All the staff are friendly and helpful, and they give advice. There’s so much that goes on here; including a food bank and a location of the Citizen’s Advice bus every Thursday morning on the main car park”.
Throughout our chat, Judi made many a reference to the fact that she has struggled with anxiety and depression and never feeling that she liked herself. She also adds how volunteering has given her the belief that she is a loving and caring person.
“When I’m volunteering, it makes me feel better about myself”. On being asked how she felt about the award, Judi replied that she was initially “over whelmed but it’s made me feel alive and like I’m worth something.”
And, after talking to Judi, I can see what this role and volunteering means to her. Community Centres the length and breadth of the country reply on volunteers and individuals like Judi; we should give credit and praise to everything they do and the time they give week in and week out. And volunteering gives so much back to those who give their time. But don’t just take my word for it; the last words are rightfully given to Judi!
“You get so much satisfaction, and it gives you a big boost, it really does! I walk in here with a big grin on my face and a spring in my step – I love it. I really do!”
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