24
Dec 2024
The volunteer heroes giving the greatest gift this Christmas Day
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As you tuck into your turkey this Christmas Day, spare a thought for all those people who will still be working. There will be 1.1 million of them, according to the Trades Union Congress, including hospital staff, care workers and emergency responders, as well as hospitality and retail employees.
As much as they might prefer not to work while the rest of us are celebrating, they are at least paid for their efforts. Yet there are legions of people who will spend Christmas Day doing things for others without receiving a penny.
This is the army of volunteers who staff charitable services up and down the country, providing food, shelter and entertainment to anyone who needs it. Some of them even help save lives.
Last year, Bruce Reid got up at 5am on Christmas Day to supervise the feeding of scores of people he'd never met, and only got home 12 hours later.
Bruce Reid (left) and volunteers
This year, he and his army of more than 40 volunteers will cook Christmas dinner for 120 people who otherwise wouldn’t get one. Fifty-five of them will eat in the Two Brothers restaurant in Knaresborough, which is donating its resources to the Knaresborough Christmas Day Dinner, and the rest will have it delivered to their home.
It all started in 2019, when Bruce was watch manager at Harrogate Fire Station. He thought that instead of just waiting for a call-out, he and his colleagues could do something to help others, so they laid on a Christmas dinner for about 25 people.
The event has grown every year since it started in 2019
Bruce retired in 2020, but he's turned that founding event into something of a tradition ever since. It’s all funded by donations from local people and businesses, and any surplus is spent on Christmas presents for children who might not otherwise get any.
He told the Stray Ferret:
I spent about 35 years in the fire service, and about 90% of my Christmas Days were spent working, so I’m used to it.
Once I was retired, I didn’t have to work on Christmas Day anymore, but so many people got such a lot out of what we did at the fire station in 2019 – including me – that I decided to just carry on with it.
People really seem to appreciate it, and the volunteers say it’s great too, because when they’re at home sitting around the table peeling potatoes, they talk to their kids about what they’re doing, and why they’re doing it – so it’s educational too.
But I couldn't do a tenth of it without the support of all the volunteers. I'm very lucky that I'm surrounded by people who are willing to give up their time to help me do something I want to do.
Olly Johnson is one of several DJs who will be working on Christmas Day at Harrogate Hospital Radio, and will be in by 8am to prepare for his two-hour morning show at 9am. He said:
We’ll have a Christmas quiz and lots of interaction with patients, as well as some pre-arranged surprise calls from patients’ family and friends.
Olly Johnson in the studio
Olly, who went to Harrogate Grammar School, first applied to work at Harrogate Hospital Radio – the district’s oldest radio station – as an 18-year-old, but there were no slots available. Now 29, he finally got his wish 18 months ago and says he “loves broadcasting”.
Olly, whose day job is in aviation for Jet2.com, said it was important that people come in and present a live show on the big day. He said:
People in hospital want to listen to something cheery, and it also gives them a sense of connection. Unfortunately, some patients don’t have anyone to visit them, and our shows brighten their day.
Samaritans, the emotional support charity, fielded more than 6,000 calls on Christmas Day last year, and is expecting to do the same this year. As in previous years, one of the volunteers on hand to talk to callers – and listen to them – this year will be Margaret. For the sake of anonymity, Samaritans don’t use surnames, so we’re not using hers either.
She told us:
I volunteer on Christmas Day because I know the need is there, and on that day in particular. Loneliness is accentuated for people when all the jollity is not part of their lives, and they feel forced into a celebration they don’t feel part of. It’s good to be there to cushion that.
I’m lucky enough to have a large family, and we can celebrate on a different day.
Samaritans volunteers Gillian and Margaret
One of her colleagues is Gillian, who has also volunteered for the Christmas shift before. She said:
There are always calls on Christmas Day, as there are every other day. A lot of people find Christmas a difficult time of year. The main reason tends to be other people’s expectations. You’re expected to be happy, but there are all sorts of reasons why people may not be able to be, such as a recent bereavement, loneliness, or being with someone they don’t want to be with.
The important thing is that people just want to be able to focus on how they’re feeling, and our training enables us to help them to do that.
As for why she gives her time on Christmas Day of all days, she says:
I do it because I can. A lot of volunteers aren’t in the Harrogate area over Christmas, or aren’t available because of religious commitments. I’m really fortunate that I don’t have those pressures on my time.
I also do it because I get a sense of being in the right place, at the right time – and in life, what’s better than that?
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