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01761 431388

You Got A Friend

Volunteer Befriender Enid Green

Being a carer can be lonely and stressful, with no one really understanding what you are going through. Having someone to talk to who understands how you feel can make a huge difference to a carer’s life.

Enid Green cared for her husband, Patrick, for 12 years, the last two of which he was in a wheelchair and needing oxygen.

“I didn’t even realise I was a carer until I read about the Carers’ Centre in my local Parish Magazine,’ said Enid. “I got in touch and they helped me so much; I couldn’t go out of the house at all, as Patrick could not be left alone. The Centre suggested befriending would help me - to have someone visiting me regularly whom I could talk to. It was a wonderful idea and I became very close with my befriender as she really understood what I was going through.”

After Patrick died in 2004, Enid decided to help other carers who were going through difficult times.

“I started volunteering for the Carers’ Centre in 2005. I now befriend 3 carers, visiting them regularly, listening to their problems, taking them out for a coffee or to the garden centre for a bit of a break. One carer I help is blind, so I help her to fill in forms and read to her. I thoroughly enjoy my volunteering work. The people I befriend have become good friends and we appreciate what we give to each other.”

The Carers’ Centre is looking for more befrienders to help local carers. People with some time and energy to give are welcome to get in touch and apply to become a volunteer. Applications can also be made through the Carers’ Centre website at www.banescarerscentre.org.uk