We spend most of our lives working and we get used to being busy. It’s not strange that, when retirement comes, we feel that we have too much free time. Nowadays, many retired people are still capable of performing many activities so there’s no point in staying in all day watching TV. So if you don’t have to go to work every day anymore, why don’t you do something rewarding that makes you happy?

29 per cent of adults in the UK volunteer at least once a month and 44 per cent volunteer at least once a year. We should be proud of living in such a caring society. You can make a difference too, and it doesn’t matter how old you are: if you feel like volunteering, you will surely find a place where your help will be greatly appreciated.

When you volunteer, you provide help that is important for the whole society, but volunteering can also help you. Try it and you will see that doing voluntary work will make you enjoy having a purpose in life.

Don’t think that you are too old to help. There are many different volunteer roles available across the UK and of course you can find something that suits you. Here is a list of different options
- Conservation work in parks and gardens
- Cooking in a food kitchen
- Helping in a charity shop
- Visiting patients in hospitals
- Helping in a food bank

But there are many other options. If you want to find out how you can help, visit the Lewisham Voluntary Centre website and see how you can get involved: http://volunteercentrelewisham.org.uk/