August 2023

The Joy of Volunteering: Chris' Story

In this exclusive interview, we get to know more about Christine, affectionately known to us as Chris, and her life before and after volunteering for Compaid. Her past has given her insight and understanding to deal with vulnerability and loneliness, which influences her support of others. 

“I have been volunteering for Compaid for over 20 years now, but before that, I was an auxiliary nurse, then a teacher, and regularly travelled to Africa with my late husband, Angus. He was a quantity surveyor, visiting several different areas for work, so we ended up moving around a lot. 

“We lived in and travelled across Africa for 10 years, spending another 4 years in Mauritius before settling in Uganda where we set up our first house, overlooking the Karuma Falls, and where I had our two children in a Catholic missionary hospital. Every morning, we watched hippos tripping through our front garden to get a drink at the waterfalls. It was such a beautiful time of my life.” 

Chris with a ’Beware of Elephants’ sign at Mikumi Game Port, Tanzania, 1979

Chris’ first house in Uganda    

Angus at yacht club in Uganda, 1996 

The view of the grass plains and watering holes, Uganda     

After a lifetime of travel and service work, Chris has a deep understanding of the importance of care and community. Throughout my conversation, she emphasised the impact of her own loneliness and her need for a supportive community. 

“I was an only child, and after becoming a widow, I now live on my own and know how the days can feel with no one to talk to. I no longer travel having given up driving, so I need a good community network to connect with. While volunteering at Compaid, I make a point of chatting with as many people as I can, because I know that a lot of the clients live on their own too, so I appreciate their need for friendship. Clients come to Compaid to learn and build friendships, and I am the same. After 20 years, you really get to know everyone well, and I look forward to seeing them every week.” 

Chris’s bubbly nature never fails to bring a smile to people’s faces, especially as she dutifully carries out her 11 o’clock biscuit run. Her dedication brings joy and creates a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. She went on to say... 

“Recently, I was given the opportunity to attend a learning disabilities awareness course, which after all these years is a nice refresher for me. So much has changed since my nursing auxiliary training, and with my inquisitive mind, I was interested to learn new ways to better support vulnerable people.” 

“Community is crucial to challenging loneliness, and that is something I realised during the Covid pandemic. During that time, in lockdown, I found living alone became unbearably lonely. I never felt the need to talk to my neighbours before as I had Angus with me, but through this time, I realised there was a need for me to reach out to get to know my neighbours. 

"I had the chance to walk up the road and safely talk to them, and now, whenever we see each other passing by, we all wave and have a chat, which is more important than I had realised. Being supported at Compaid through their service, this sense of friendship and community is so vital for so many, and volunteering with this charity, knowing I’m helping others, gives me a real sense of purpose.”