I’ve been volunteering with Scannappeal for getting on twenty years now — probably about eighteen, but near enough. Two decades of my life have been tied up with this charity, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Before that, I did a lot with Iain Rennie Hospice at Home. They’ve had several different names over the years, but it was always the same core service — caring for people in their own homes. It was a brilliant charity, exactly what it said on the tin. They supported my wife, and that’s how I got involved with them. Back then, they couldn’t cope with all the need, but the care they gave was second to none. I can’t speak for it now because things have changed, but twenty years ago it was a lifeline.
So what brought me to Scannappeal? It was my wife, really. She’d been involved with them herself, doing bits and pieces of volunteering. After she died, there was a presentation evening at the education centre. They were handing out awards. I was invited along, more as her representative than anything else. I remember standing there, not quite sure what I was doing, when Julia Joy — a trustee at the time — came over. She asked me if I’d ever thought about volunteering. I hadn’t, not really. But she planted the seed.
I agreed to help out at one event, just to see what it was like. And you know what? I enjoyed it. It was fun. I liked being part of something, liked meeting people. So I carried on. One event led to another, and before long it had become part of my life. At first it was alongside work — I’d take time off to do it — and then, as the years went on, it simply became what I did.
It turned my life around. I’d always been shy, quiet, not the sort to push myself forward. My wife was the opposite — confident, outgoing — she could walk into a room and light it up. I never thought I’d be able to do that. But volunteering gave me a role, a kind of mask almost. Give me a collecting box and I’ll walk into the roughest pub in the country without blinking. It’s not “me” walking in there — it’s the volunteer, the fundraiser. That shift gave me confidence.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still shy at heart. I still find it hard to walk into a place just as myself. But give me a purpose, something bigger than me, and I’ll do it without hesitation. That’s what volunteering has done — it’s given me a reason, a role, a way to step outside myself.
So what keeps me coming back after all these years? Well, part of it is simple: I don’t see many people otherwise. If I didn’t come here, there are days I might not see anyone at all. Volunteering changes that. I walk into the Scannappeal office, and I’m greeted by a brilliant bunch of people. They’re fun, welcoming, and good company. You get a nice cup of coffee, a biscuit, and a bit of laughter. What more could you want?
And of course, there’s the other side of it: knowing you’re doing good. That matters. With Scannappeal, you can see exactly where the money goes. It’s local — our hospitals, our community. The equipment they buy changes lives right here in Buckinghamshire. It’s not abstract, it’s not on the other side of the world — it’s personal.
There’s an old saying: “You get more out of volunteering than you put in.” It’s true. It might look like you’re giving your time and effort, but what you receive in return — purpose, connection, fulfilment — far outweighs it.
At first, my motivation was about giving back. My wife had received care, and I wanted to contribute in her memory. Over time, that’s shifted. Now it’s more about the people. The friends I’ve made. The banter with regular supporters at events. The sense of being part of a team. It still raises money, of course, but for me personally, it’s the social side that matters most now.
I’ve done all sorts through Scannappeal — open gardens, supermarket collections, talks, quizzes. I even do photography at the open gardens, which I love. You get to wander through private gardens you’d never normally see, some of them absolutely stunning, and capture them on camera. That feels like a privilege.
There have been funny moments too. Once, at an event at Lord Carrington’s, a friend and I were manning the back gate. Everyone was meant to come through the front, and our job was to make sure no one slipped in. Along comes a gentleman, and my friend says, “Excuse me, have you got your ticket?” He looked at us and said, “I live here.” We were mortified, but he was lovely about it. “I’m glad to see you’re doing your job properly,” he said. We laughed about that one for ages.
There have been challenges, of course. Early on, it was confidence — having to speak to people, explain what Scannappeal does, answer questions. But I learned quickly. Now I enjoy it. Another challenge is practical: I don’t drive anymore, so getting to events can be a bit of a mission. Sometimes it’s a long walk, sometimes two buses. But I manage. The hardest bit is just making sure the buses are running.
Volunteering has also pushed me to try things I never thought I’d do. Skydiving, for example. I never in a million years thought I’d jump out of a plane, but there I was. Sometimes you’ve just got to put your head above the parapet and go for it. Volunteering taught me that — that life’s too short not to give things a try.
How has volunteering changed me? It’s given me confidence. It’s given me purpose. It’s given me friendships. It’s reminded me that there’s more to life than earning money and going to work. I used to work fifty-hour weeks. There was no space for volunteering then. Now I’m retired, I can give my time. And it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made.
I fully intend to keep going as long as I’m able. The only thing that would stop me is if I couldn’t get about anymore. But for now, I’m still here, still enjoying it.
If someone asked me whether they should try volunteering, I’d tell them: go for it. You’re not signing a contract. Try it for a couple of months. If it’s not for you, fine. But you might just find it gives you more than you expected.
And if you can, volunteer locally. That’s one of the best things about Scannappeal. You can walk into the office, see the people, know where the money’s going. It’s real, it’s close, it’s ours. That makes all the difference.
So yes, nearly twenty years on, I’m still here. Still fundraising, still meeting people, still enjoying the coffee and the company. And still grateful for that one evening, all those years ago, when someone asked me if I’d ever thought about volunteering.
