Wiltshire volunteers share their stories
Mary and Tim have told us about their voluntary roles, as the county celebrates those giving up their time to help others
Wiltshire's volunteers are being celebrated this week for the contributions they're making to our communities.
The work of people giving up their time is being highlighted by police, local authorities and charities across the county.
Greatest Hits Radio has been speaking to some of our volunteers to find out more about their roles.
Abuse survivor empowering others
Mary Wood volunteers with domestic abuse charity, FearFree.
A survivor herself, Mary told us she wanted to give back now that her life is back on track.
"I wanted to help people who are in similar situations. I was also a police officer for 30 years and I'm now a student of criminal psychology, so I feel I have an understanding of the issues from different perspectives," she said.
Mary volunteers as a Community Speaker, telling them about the work FearFree does in breaking the cycle of abuse.
She said: "I feel that if you can help people understand the issues then that might empower them, or it might help them to help somebody that they know, to get out of a dangerous situation or to get the help that they need."
Mary told us that, until she spoke out, she had no idea that people close to her had also been in the same position.
She said she hopes that the power of talking and understanding helps find solutions and allows survivors to find safety.
Mary called her role "empowering", telling us she takes a lot of satisfaction from it.
"You're doing something good," she said.
Mary told us volunteering can also be an excellent way to build confidence, as well as boosting a CV and gaining real world experience.
Getting people from A to B
Tim Keighley is another Wiltshire volunteer, giving up his time with the LINK scheme.
He helps take our communities most vulnerable to appointments at the hospital, the dentist, or the doctor, or even to take them shopping.
He said it also brings the community together: "I think it is very much about helping and supporting the community and bringing it closer together.
"I've met so many people through this volunteer link scheme who have benefited from a our support and service, but also from the contact that they have. Very often they live alone and are lonely, so the link scheme also brings them together."
Tim told us that there is one bus from where he lives in Collingbourne to Salisbury in the morning and one bus back in the afternoon.
"If your appointment is in Salisbury at the wrong time ,you cannot catch public transport and taxis are not cheap in rural places.
"So therefore the link scheme becomes even more important to support our residents in need," he said.
He told us there is a push for more people to give up their time with the scheme, connecting people from A to B, something Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson has also called for.
Tim said he takes enormous satisfaction from helping people in need.
We can join the LINK scheme as a volunteer here.