Giving Back

June marks the return of Volunteers’ Week, which could offer a whole new direction later in life

- Julie Lucas

Winston Churchill once said: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Volunteering not only has the obvious benefit of helping others – it far outweighs what we actually give back to society. Everyone can do it; you don’t need to be a surgeon saving lives in Africa, it can be as simple as tending a garden or acting as a sight companion for the blind. And for retirees it can be the start of a whole new chapter.

When 60-year-old Glen Barber retired after 42 years working, he found it extremely tough. After going from a demanding role managing multi-million pound accounts in the UK and Europe to not needing to get out of bed, he realised that the transition was not going to be as easy as expected. “I hadn’t really made plans apart from wanting to spend quality time with my wife and family,” he says. “I knew that I wanted to use my skills and experiences at some stage in the future to give something back to society in a voluntary role.