“Back in the 1990s I worked as a teacher at Northway School and we were asked if somebody involved in education would form a connection with Barnet Mencap. I started off by attending some Equality Housing meetings to get background information and provide input where needed.

On early retirement I started volunteering on a more regular basis with the Project Support team, mainly helping with the newsletter. When Barnet Mencap moved to Summit House, I also started to help with answering telephones and other daily admin tasks.

On moving to the new offices in Finchley Central, I started doing the reception post on a weekly basis and also took over the over 50s art group. The regular members of the art group produce lovely work; they have exhibited at the arts depot, and have won awards in local competitions. I was a trustee for several years but for the last few years have enjoyed been involved purely through my voluntary posts.

I enjoy volunteering at Barnet Mencap and have seen it change greatly during my time volunteering here, in all 3 offices. The charity has got bigger and better, with more projects running and covering more areas. It’s very well organised and everyone from all projects work together to make sure the clients get the right support – it’s all about communication.

I would recommend a volunteer position at Barnet Mencap as there’s a lot going on – never boring. You get to work with lots of different people and make new friends.”