June Jordan

Retirement in 2009 gave me time to expand my volunteering roles, in addition to my existing ones e.g. I still deliver Primary Young Enterprise sessions first supported by my workplace, and continued by me ever since, because I enjoy delivering up to date useful business information to children via fun activities. It keeps me up to date, too!

In addition to dipping in and out of Volunteer Now’s own volunteer activities, I am an ongoing, long term Events Volunteer with Belfast’s Eastside Arts, including both annual Eastside Arts & C.S. Lewis Festivals.  A totally unexpected, but very welcome surprise to be nominated by them as their older Volunteer of the Year 2016 and to attend the celebratory Older Volunteer Recognition Awards event & lunch in Belfast City Hall’s Banqueting Room, together with my nominated peer volunteers from across Belfast, in December 2016.  A happy celebration, and fascinating to hear the variety, scope and scale of volunteering opportunities existing in Belfast.  Truly, volunteering caters for all interests! My official picture on the day (above) shows me receiving my award from the Lord Mayor.

I sing and act myself, so Eastside Arts event volunteering aligns very closely with my own personal interests.  I enjoy bringing both my work skills and life experiences to the very varied volunteer roles involved, and I relish learning new skills too.  In March 2021 along with fellow Eastside Partnership volunteers I completed my World Host Event Ambassadors Certificated Programme, delivered online by Volunteer Now, for us Eastside Partnership volunteers.

I am inspired by engaging and communicating actively with all age groups in areas of mutual interest.  I enjoy our Eastside volunteer team briefings and the learning course possibilities offered by them and it is very good to feel part of a successful team delivering positive things in the world.