Volunteering has many benefits from increasing confidence and learning new skills not to mention providing untold joy as one volunteer at Alsager Community Support (ACS) explained.

Jean volunteers as a Shopper and Trustee with Alsager Community Support which has has been helping residents and making their lives better in Alsager for the last 10 years.

But what Jean didn't realise was that her ACS volunteering would also lead to connecting with her passion for dogs and being able to occasionally walk a dog.

She said: "As a shopper you can shop and chat helping to put away the shopping if required. Volunteering has a big advantage in being something that you can do as little or as much as you can/want to.

"Volunteering can increase confidence and/or help brush up or acquire skills. It even looks good on a CV and for those looking for their first job gives something to talk about at interviews.

"Oh yes, have to mention that my occasional dog walking involves a beautiful, well-behaved dog. We don't have a dog any more ourselves so it's fantastic to be back out there with a dog!"

Jean got involved with ACS when a leaflet came through my letterbox asking for help with the Covid vaccination process.

"From then I was on "The List" and responded to a round-robin request for assistance for a local individual and later for people who were interested in being trustees. 

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"The two roles are very different. The trustee role is behind the scenes with a focus on administrative "stuff". 

"Suits me because after retiring I still wanted something to do that linked to my old life (although I did volunteer when I was working, being retired is not a given for entry!). 

Opening doors - Alsager Community Support. (Photo: Nub News)

"The shopper role (occasional dog walker) is as it says on the tin but that "tin" does not describe what you get from being helpful to those in your own local community that appreciate and, in many cases, need your involvement. 

"It certainly doesn't describe what you learn from the people you are helping and how interesting and sometime hard other people's lives are.

"With volunteering there is a wide range of roles that you can do that you will be happy to do or even learn from. You can get involved as a trustee with a focus on strategy, finance, fundraising, and organisational issues etc."

Alsager Community Support hopes this story will highlight the impact of our work and the people behind it who make it happen.

YOU can make local lives better by……

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• Spreading the word
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• Volunteering with them
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• Using theirn uniform recycling scheme
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• Giving a one-off donation or becoming a regular supporter

Contact us on 01270 876605, [email protected] or check out our new website to make a donation here

Alsager Nub News is proud that Alsager Community Support (ACS) is a sponsor of our news service.

ACS's support helps us to deliver the high-quality journalism that Alsager deserves - no clickbait or intrusive ads, just the latest updates on what's happening in our town.

It is thanks to the generosity of organisations like ACS that we can continue our mission to revive local news, both in Alsager and across the UK.

ACS is more than just a Charity — it's a place where people come together to support each other and make a real difference." - follow this link here

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