Meet some of AbilityNet's volunteers around the UK
Annie Mannion | 31 May 2022To celebrate Volunteers' Week (1-7 June), we would like to introduce some of our fantastic Tech volunteers who support people in areas including London, Manchester, Cheshire, Scotland, Devon, Lincolnshire, Wiltshire and Wales.
Find out what they love about volunteering with AbilityNet and why YOU might like to get involved, too!
Part of a friendly, supportive team of hundreds of volunteers across the country, these kind and generous people deliver AbilityNet's free IT Support at Home service (also available online), which provides free IT support to older people and disabled adults across the UK.
Why volunteer with AbilityNet?
We asked our volunteers to share what they love about volunteering with AbilityNet. Here are a selection of their very positive replies - if you're inspired to start volunteering, we'd love to hear from you, so please get in touch.
Become an AbilityNet volunteer
Thanks so much to all our incredible volunteers!
Northern England
"Everybody needs help some time, and I hope that my help goes some way to closing the digital divide that has developed over the years, and help those that are digitally excluded become digitally inclusive in today's modern connected society." - Lorne Turner, Lincolnshire
"I enjoy volunteering for Abilitynet for purely selfish reasons; at the end of the day, when I find myself wondering if I've made the world a very slightly better place, or a very slightly worse place, I can generally answer, "slightly better", which is a great feeling and one I can highly
recommend to anyone." - Phil Robinson, Cheshire
"Volunteering at AbilityNet gives me the opportunity to build upon my experience and skills in various Assistive Technologies, which in turn enables people to live a healthy and productive life - it’s a truly rewarding and inspiring environment.” - Greg White, Manchester (pictured, right).
London and the South East
"As technology plays an ever-greater role in our lives, helping those who need it the most to stay connected is extremely important and rewarding work. For example, in the past month, I’ve helped an elderly woman learn to manage her doctor appointments online, a blind man to use his phone’s camera to read books, and a bedridden person to stay connected through a tablet. I love volunteering with AbilityNet because it's impactful, rewarding and flexible around my schedule. I can’t recommend it enough." - Ignacio Allendesalazar, North London
"I really enjoy getting to know people in the community and hearing their stories. Teaching older people how to take advantage of technology in their own homes is great fun too. When you see them sending emails or on Zoom to family and friends, it's very satisfying." - Sophie Quinn, London (pictured, right)
"It gives me a sense of satisfaction that I can solve a technology problem which helps empower our clients to perform day-to-day tasks, attend online appointments, and connect with friends and family. The AbilityNet Office team are always a pleasure to talk with and don't hesitate to support volunteers like me when we have any queries. A great organisation to work for!" - Duncan Prince, South London (pictured, right)
"I wanted to put my 20+ years in IT to good use outside of work. The scale of needs of clients varies greatly, ranging from problems connecting a printer to a PC, to those with significant personal issues that look to technology to assist with or overcome those issues. Helping a client over their given hurdle is hugely rewarding." - Simon Delicata, London
"I love volunteering for AbilityNet due to its endless benefits in so many ways. It is important for society to see the value of helping others without personal gain and I believe volunteering for AbilityNet has allowed that to flourish amongst all of us." - Pankaj Bhasin, North London (pictured, right)
"I continue to enjoy being part of AbilityNet 10 years on and the sessions and support that the central team provide is outstanding. All of my clients are very complimentary of the work that we do. I have a full time job in Health Technology - I can fit volunteering comfortably around the day job, too." - Jo Garner, London (pictured, right)
"We enjoy being able to work together on things, meet new people and learn new skills. We often learn as much from the people we visit, when preparing or working together with them. It motivates us to research new software and the training AbilityNet provides is extremely interesting. We have travelled about locally and got to know new places, too." - Ross and Jenny Taggart, London
South West of England
"Volunteer hours and days are very flexible. It is heart warming to experience the gratitude of the people I help when volunteering. Sometimes I might be the only IT help available for them. I feel that my service sometimes really makes a significant impact, even it is only a very basic IT support on my part. Today I work in IT professionally, but I continue my volunteer service as this is an amazing experience that enriches my life." - Piotr Wikarski, Devon (pictured, right).
"I am county co-ordinator for AbilityNet. What I love about being a volunteer is the pleasure you get when you help someone overcome a difficulty with their tech. It’s a real buzz!" - Myles Pilling, Wiltshire
Scotland
"I got involved with AbilityNet because I love IT and enjoy helping people get the best out of what is available to them. I am now part of a wonderful group of volunteers and our combined skills make a fantastic resource to really help the communities we work in." - Gavin Stewart, Dunbar, Scotland
"It is so rewarding to see people, especially older people, learn how to use the latest technology. I also like passing on any tips to other volunteers to help their clients solve problems. I have got to know some really nice people within AbilityNet who made me feel very welcome. Charities would not be able to function without the volunteers. So come and join us and make a difference to someone's life." - Fiona Tomany, South West Scotland
Wales
"We all want to 'give something back', and AbilityNet is a wonderful way of manifesting that while easily helping others. It is also hugely satisfying for both the volunteer and the person being helped when things work out." - Pauli Murphy, Gwynedd, Wales
"It is a great feeling when you are able to help someone achieve something they couldn’t do before, whether it be helping them how to use email, or changing someone's life by showing them how to use assistive technology to overcome a disability. The team at AbilityNet are really supportive and there is a wealth of experience amongst the other volunteers if you need some back up.” - Nick Aymes, Wales (pictured, right).
Northern Ireland
"The expense of hardware and software for accessibility is often extortionate, which makes our service even more valuable as we have a range of experience in this area, accessible to those who really need it - for free. For example, one of my repeat clients relies heavily on accessibility hardware/software due to his Parkinson’s condition... We troubleshoot most things together in the aim to make his setup work for him in the best possible way with the tools available, such as the use of eye tracking and mouse keys." - Matthew, Northern Ireland
Would you like to volunteer with AbilityNet?
We're always keen to welcome new tech volunteers to AbilityNet's IT Support at Home service. If you'd like to get involved, please get in contact. We'd love to hear from you!
We say thanks to our volunteers
Watch a captioned video of heartfelt thankyous to our volunteers this Volunteers' Week 2022:
How AbilityNet can help
AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people.
- Call our free helpline. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution. We’re open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm on 0800 048 7642
- We have a range of factsheets that talk in detail about technology that might help you, which you can download for free. You may find our factsheets about voice recognition and keyboard alternatives useful.
- My Computer My Way. A free interactive guide to all the accessibility features built into current desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
- Learn about AbilityNet's positive impact on the community in our 2021 Impact Report
- Volunteers' Week 2022: Spotlight on volunteer Matthew in Northern Ireland