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!