In the next of our “Meet The Volunteer” series, we catch up with a volunteer reasonably new to Barnaby’s but not new to the village – meet Emma Andersen:

Q: Why Barnaby’s and why now Emma?
A: Barnaby’s opened around the time we first moved to the village, and I rather liked the idea of supporting it as I believe that volunteering is such an enriching thing to do. But life rather got in the way, what with two young (at the time) children, and then work, and then Covid. It was always at the back of my mind though. Just recently, I was sat here chatting with a friend who said “You should have a go at that!” A week later, I was making my own coffee and now I’m in here doing a shift almost every Thursday morning!

Q: What keeps bringing you back?”
A: That’s an easy question – I love it!  I love meeting new people and serving the village I live in. I also love contributing to such a great project as this, that has given so much money to the community over the years.

Q: Where do you think the money goes?
A: I know you have supported the St.George Foundation since day one, which I think is wonderful. More recently, I have seen lots of photos of large cheques being handed out to all sorts of charities, both on Facebook and here on the big screen. Also, I have also seen upgrades to equipment coming through, including the new till which I got to use for the first time today!

Q: What else could Barnaby’s do to support the community and drive awareness of volunteering?
A: Not much! I think you’ve got it covered! I’m such a big supporter of volunteering that I’m delighted to be able to do it here in my own village by picking and choosing the shifts I can fit in. Thank you for that!

Thank you Emma, and huge congratulations on your recent ordination!

In the fifth of our MEET THE VOLUNTEER series, we caught up with the lovely lady you often see at the till during the week – Rosy Easton. We asked Rosy what volunteering means to her:

So what drew you to volunteer at Barnaby’s?
I retired just before Covid came along, so as the world started to return to normal, I was keen to do something with my new-found freedom! When my kids were younger, we supported the Primary School through committees and the like. I rather enjoyed all of that, so now that I have grandchildren too (Ed – you don’t look anywhere near old enough for that!), volunteering here allows me to continue my support of the community, but just in a different way.

What does volunteering at Barnaby’s do for you?
I love the fact that it allows me to stay connected with the people I have met over 37 years of living in the village. I often look out over the till to see groups of people sitting together, chatting between themselves over coffee and cake. I’m rather chuffed to be a part of a team that creates that safe space for them to get together. And I’ve learned some new skills too!

So, what have you learned so far?
Well, I’ve started using the coffee machine to make my own coffee. Deb and Julie have been very helpful on that front, and although I have not perfected my skills yet, I’m getting there and I love the fun of it.

What helps bring you back each time Rosy?
Apart from the things we talked about above, it’s rather lovely to see all the big cheques on the screen that have been given to the charities Barnaby’s supports. The events outside are rather fun too. I loved the horses, and the ambulance that was here, and the occasional music group. More of that please!