In the second of our MEET THE VOLUNTEER series, we caught up with someone relatively new to Barnaby’s – Julie Smith – so we asked what volunteering means to her:

Q.  Why do you volunteer at Barnaby’s Julie?
A:  Well I believe a strong community runs on its volunteers, and I like supporting the community in which I live.  In the case of Swanmore, that’s been over 30 years, all be it with a bit of a recent break while we lived abroad! I brought my boys up here, so I rather like the fact that, with Barnaby’s being opposite the Primary School, I’m helping mums who are now on the same journey that I have been on.

Q.  What have been the side benefits of this?
A:   It’s a lovely way of meeting people that I might not normally have been able to meet. Some of those are new faces, and some are not so new!

Q.   How are you getting on with making your own coffee?
A:   Well, you’ll have to ask our customers that! I’ve learned not to be frightened of the machine, but on occasion, it can be a little hard to tell my lattés from my cappuccinos! It’s been fun to learn a new skill though, and all us volunteers receive lots of friendly training to help us improve.

Q.   Where do you think the money goes?
A:   I had originally thought that it went to the church, but I now know that it does not. In fact, I’ve seen Barnaby’s handing out some big cheques recently because there are some images here on the big screen, Perhaps more could be made of that – may be with a page in the Parish magazine?
(Thanks Julie – we’ll look in to that idea)

Q.   Can you explain the photo Julie?
A:   No. Not really! But Christmas isn’t far away!

Thank you Julie!