Tony is a trustee of Southwark Pensioner’s Centre, the vibrant community hub for older people in Southwark. We discuss the importance volunteering has played throughout his life.
Born and raised in Camberwell, Tony’s describes how he first became involved in the community as a child by forming a football team in Brunswick Park. Tony used to go to St Giles’ Youth Club, which opened in the 1960s. Returning as an adult, he worked at the club for ten years, supervising children’s football and DJing on Fridays.
His community work extends beyond volunteering, inspired by his Uncle who was involved in the trade union, Tony has always closely followed local politics and has supported many councillors into office.
After being signed off work due to injury, Tony made it his mission to work at doing good in the community. “I don’t want to be ashamed of not working, I want to carry on doing something’.
For example, he spent 4 years volunteering as a mentor at King’s College Hospital, sharing his experience and motivating others.
After he became a member of Southwark Pensioner’s Centre, noticing that many of the centre’s visitors were women, Tony helped set up a men’s group to share a social space with day trips, cinema screenings or walks.
Tony was approached by the Pensioner’s Centre manager who asked “have you thought about becoming a trustee?” Tony said “I’d never given it a thought.” He’s now been a trustee for 9 years and is a key member of the board, providing guidance and support to the centre and other trustees.
He also knows how useful it can be where trustees are able to get stuck in with the day to day running of a busy charity from helping on community stalls to setting up social groups.
He describes how volunteering isn’t always formal:“You could be volunteering and you don’t even know it”.
We asked Tony what some of the biggest challenges currently facing older people in Southwark were:
“There are so many older people who died during Covid-19 that there are lots of people without partners now. They are the people we should be looking for, they are the people we should be trying to bring into a centre and asking what do you do during the week?’
Tony describes how simple acts like cooking dinner for a friend who could no longer leave the house or just saying ‘come round for a cuppa and get out of the house’ can make a huge difference to people’s lives.
Alongside Director, Cathy Deplessis, staff and fellow trustees, one of the biggest achievements during Tony’s time as trustee is their anticipated move to a bigger and better building for the centre.
Tony’s story shows the massive difference a trustee can make when they can get stuck in and involved at all levels of an organisation.
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Thank you to Tony, Cathy and Southwark Pensioner’s Centre for sharing Tony’s inspiring story.