Volunteering has thoroughly enriched my life and I feel privileged to be part of such a dedicated team. My role is to make the members feel welcome, safe and at home. This type of care is priceless and the volunteer team is central to that.

I have learnt that one to one interaction is often the most useful and effective way to communicate with people with dementia, but more volunteers are needed to allow more of this to happen. The challenge is to connect to the members: seeing a person who is normally non-communicative knows all the words to ‘Lambeth Walk’ or translate a German passport - gives me such joy. It is then you can see the happiness on their faces.

The reminiscence sessions, are always a highlight for me. I count myself lucky to have heard such amazing stories and anecdotes and you definitely need a good sense of humour if you become a volunteer. I am so passionate about the work of the centre. I can‘t image my life without volunteering.