Public Servant Lifestyle

Volunteers are needed to help run many of the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship’s (CSRF) 400 plus social groups for retired civil servants across the UK. With volunteering so high on the agenda recently, have you thought of taking part?

Following the launch of the CSRF Boredom Breeds Mischief campaigns campaign, here is an insight into what CSRF volunteering really involves.

Our groups take a number of forms – it is essentially down to the volunteers’ strengths, interests and time, along with the needs of the group itself. For some a coffee morning, pub lunch or talk once a month is enough. For others there may be walks, theatre visits, days out, or even holidays.

CSRF volunteers also provide a vital service by visiting retired civil servants who are ill or housebound and who can no longer attend group gatherings.

Younger People

As our current volunteer base grows older there is a need for younger people to get involved, bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the groups and give the older volunteers a well-earned rest! Without new volunteers these groups will simply not be able to carry on, leaving a huge void in many retired civil servants’ lives. Are you up to the challenge?

Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks. Running a group, organising social events or visiting the ill or housebound are vital roles, but you can shape your volunteering time however you wish – any assistance is welcomed. It can take up as much or as little time as you want to put in; it is that flexible.

One of our volunteers, Michael, has been a volunteer since 2002. “My wife Janet and I have made some great new friends who share our love of wine (yes we’ve had a winery speaker and bought a case for committee meetings!) and bridge (I teach that to our group). The CSRF work is humorous and easy going.”

Volunteers receive direct support from the CSRF’s Head Office staff, are paid out-of-pocket expenses and are free to commit for as long or short a time as they wish.

The benefits of just a couple of hours volunteering can be huge. For many of our beneficiaries, CSRF meetings and visits are a key social interaction in their retirement. They offer an opportunity to see friends old and new, and a great way to stay active, in both body and mind.

Strong Feeling

There is a strong feeling of community and a wide variety of people to meet. Michael tells us, “We offer lifts and will help the ones with mobility problems on outings. But most of our crowd are pretty fit, they ramble, swim...you name it they do it. We also found we are brimming with home grown talent, from an observer of the 'H' bomb tests and pioneer of early TV development through to a Concorde test pilot.”

There are clearly benefits for the volunteer too. As Michael says, “For me perhaps the strange part of all this is that I have got more out of it than I put in.”

To find out more about volunteering contact Richard Hornsby on 0208 469 9196 or email mailto: info@csrf.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.

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