Every year the Marsh Christian Trust celebrates the outstanding contributions of volunteers through the Marsh Awards.  The Marsh Award for volunteering in support of older people is run in partnership with Re-engage and below we're delighted to share  the names of the winners and runners up. 

Jennifer is this year's winner of the Marsh Award for volunteering in support of older people; an award run in partnership with Re-engage.  We caught up with Jennifer about her role as a volunteer for Re-engage and what winning the Marsh Award means to her. 

Why did you decide to volunteer for Re-engage?
As a young girl, I was part of a Brownie group that regularly connected with the older residents in our village. I remember feeling both bashful and cheered to hear that the small events we organised each month had become something of a highlight. Be it our dance 'shows', fête’s, teddy bear's picnics or not-so-tuneful recorder concerts, I remember feeling proud that something I was enjoying so much was also raising a smile for others. This was never more evident than when a lovely lady with no family nearby wrote the group a letter to explain we had made her feel included for the first time in many years. As young as I was, so many things about that time made their mark and I've always tried to make myself useful since! Joining Re-engage was, therefore, an opportunity I didn't want to miss.

I now volunteer for the charity as a call companion and call companion coordinator and it's a privilege to be in touch with different groups of volunteers and older people. I’m also a volunteer within the impact team, a group of staff and volunteers who measure the impact of the various vital services Re-engage offers.

How did you find out that you had won the Marsh Award?
I received a call from the CEO of Re-engage, Meryl Davies. I must admit that I was quite lost for words! It meant a lot that Meryl called me to personally let me know too - it completely made my afternoon.

What does winning the Marsh Award mean to you?
It is an absolute honour to win the Marsh Award! Re-engage is a charity I feel very privileged to play my own small part within as a volunteer.  I already feel very valued within the organisation, but to have been recognised in this way is beyond humbling. Spending time listening and talking to some of the many people Re-engage supports has enriched my life immensely. It's something I feel so lucky to be a part of.

I'm also incredibly grateful to the Marsh Charitable Trust for the honour, but also for the lengths they go to in rewarding the work of volunteers and charity workers across so many sectors. I'd like to dedicate it to anyone who gives of their time in any capacity, but also to any older person experiencing loneliness and social isolation. If they haven’t already, may they find their way to the vital services of Re-engage.

Do you have a favourite quote or saying?
'It is not from ourselves that we learn to be better than we are.’ is certainly one of those for me. People are fascinating, and considering the many experiences we each have in life, be they shared or varied, I truly believe it's impossible to encounter anyone who can't teach us something!

What gets you out of bed every morning?
I always try to embrace each new day as a possibility for a positive experience. While certain things can't be changed quickly, if at all, a new day represents a renewal for me. Even when I went through some spells of ill health - 'it might not always be easy, but it will always be worth it'; as my grandma used to say! Whether I'm working from home or leaving the house, seeing a sunrise or hearing some songbirds in the garden - I find those things can instantly lift you. Mother Nature is quite the artist! I find that many of the older guests I speak to also derive a great deal of pleasure from nature and animals, often birdlife in particular.

Being he's one of my favourites whose beauty continues to astound, I always make sure to mention the incredible mandarin duck.  I know they are quite a rare sight in the UK, so to say I was in awe when I first happened upon one at my local lake as a teenager is quite the understatement!  He was the only one of his kind in the area and quite a crowd had gathered to get a closer look at his exquisite plumage. Something about that little guy gave me confidence as a teenager. If he could be his best self in this huge lake, surrounded by no-one who resembled him, then I could also try to hold my head high in moments of self-doubt.

How do you fit your volunteering around your day-to-day life?
While the old adage that 'if something is important to you, you will always make time for it' may not always hold up when life becomes extra busy, volunteering is very important to me, so I'll make it work. I realise I'm lucky to have a bit of flexibility regarding my day job, but it's all been down to sharpening up my time management really. Keeping a clear schedule of my call times and making sure to communicate with the older person or volunteer in plenty of time if details need to change, you find that you develop a system over time.

What would you say to anyone else wanting to volunteer?
Please do register as soon as you feel able - it will be even more rewarding than you imagine! Your individual perspective, attributes and life experience will be so valuable to the charity and those who access its services and activities.

Thank you again to all of the staff, volunteers and older people who make the roles all that they are. And lastly, a huge thank you again to everyone at the Marsh Charitable Trust for this incredible honour.

Runners up - Marsh awards 2022

Neville Hortas – tea party group coordinator 
Janet Foster – tea party driver 
Audrey Tupper – tea party group coordinator/driver/host 
Samantha Sullivan – tea party group coordinator 
Julian Mobbs – rainbow call companion and rainbow call companion coordinator 
Amel Kathrada – tea party group coordinator 
Chris Chua Short and Jane Daly – group coordinators, Age Concern Crosby lunch club 
Jo Everitt – tea party driver 
Carol Blackman – tea party group coordinator 
Jean Chippindale – finance team volunteer 
Alan Wodzynski – tea party area organiser/group coordinator