How a simple conversation can be such a big help
Val is one of our Volunteer Administrators on our Move Mates project, here she tells us how she loves feeling part of a community she’s physically remote from.
Val just loves what Move the Masses does. She’s patiently waiting for us to start Move Mates on the south coast so she can become a walking buddy herself and support others to get out for an amble. As a keen supporter of our organisation since we lauched, Val was excited to have an opportunity to get more involved.
“I’ve fundraised for Move the Masses in the past, but I wanted to do more, and in this role I get to hear first-hand how the charity is making a difference.”
Val – Volunteer Administrator
Val started her own journey with walking a couple of years ago; she wanted to build her fitness to be able to get out for longer walks with her family without feeling out of breath.
At first, Val told us that even though she knew it was good for her, going out walking felt like a chore. Walking and talking with friends helped take her mind off the physical exertion, and she found that once she was chatting, the time walking would fly by and suddenly she was walking further than she thought she could. She said that walking with others helped her enormously, and gave her the impetus to go out even when she didn’t really feel like it.
As a Volunteer Administrator, Val makes phone calls to our beneficiaries to talk with them and to find out how the walks with their Move Mate are going. We check in with every beneficiary at least once every three months as part of their ongoing monitoring and evaluation, so there are a lot of phone calls to make each week!
During these telephone check-ins, we find out all about how people are progressing against their goals, any challenges they might be facing and what difference the walks are making to their lives. Some people have a lot to say and relish the opportunity for a good, long chat.
Val told us how wonderful it is to hear real life stories directly from people who are benefiting from our charity.
“I get to hear their funny stories and their anecdotes. We have great chinwags, it’s lovely too because I know the people feel listened to. We have a good laugh a lot of the time, I get off the phone and I feel joyful!”
Val – Volunteer Administrator