Thank you to our library volunteers
We would like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to our volunteers, who make an immense contribution to Essex Library Service.
Meet some of our library heroes and find out why volunteering is so important to them.
Anthea Symms, Home Library Service Delivery Volunteer and Reading Friends Volunteer, Coggeshall:
“Without exception every one of our customers has been a delight to deal with and it’s humbling when they express gratitude for what we do. It’s they who make the job so rewarding.”
Lesley Robinson, Home Library Service Delivery Volunteer, Canvey:
“I’d enjoyed working in the library and wanted to continue delivering the service to those customers who could no longer get there. I actually deal with some customers on my round whom I used to serve in the library and this service has been a lifeline to them and hugely rewarding for me.”
Helen Hardwick, Baby and Toddler Rhymetime Volunteer and Summer Reading Challenge Volunteer, Clacton:
“I have volunteered to help with the Summer Reading Challenge for the past few years and found it very rewarding. It’s truly delightful to watch the children grow, both physically and in confidence week by week. Books are expensive these days, so it’s great to see parents and young children regularly leaving the library with a pile of books!”
Diane Donald, Baby and Toddler Rhymetime Volunteer, Chelmsford:
“I enjoy the reaction from the children when they learn a new song and the joy on their faces when we read a story together. I love watching the little ones grow in confidence, and the children who don’t have English as their first language have increased their vocabulary along with their parents, through rhymes and books.”
Sue Gallone, Home Library Service Delivery Volunteer, Clacton:
“Over the last 10 years I have taken books and talking books to five people, including one lady of 98 who has been with me throughout. It’s made a massive difference to them, ensuring they have stories to read or listen to, and I’ve also made some interesting friends. I enjoy chats with my Home Library Service customers, about books, family and the world in general. I’ve learned about wartime south London, the East Yorkshire coast, the dance halls of Norfolk and life in Florence as a child in the 1930s. I always feel cheered after a visit and come away with an interesting anecdote.”
If you’ve been inspired to volunteer with us, take a look at the volunteering page.