Getting out and about might seem easy, but for those who have lost a loved one or suffer from mental health issues it can be anything but.

That’s why people like Alistair Wilson have such an important role to play.

Alistair, 68, from Scarborough, is a volunteer for Carers Plus Yorkshire and is involved with the Stepping Out initiative, which organises walks for people who might not otherwise get out and meet people.

Since retirement, Alistair has made volunteering a key part of his life, helping Wetwheels Yorkshire taking people with disabilities and those with additional needs out on the sea and becoming a telephone befriender.

Now he’s helping Stepping Out to become a success.

He said: “Everyone who wants to come is welcome, whether they are lonely or have a disability, for example.

 “We have people in their 20s to their 80s. We started with about four people and now we regularly get around 15 or 16.

“We do different walks all the time; North Bay, Peasholm Park, the esplanade, or we might go round one of the local meres.

“It’s so good to see a smile on someone’s face who might not have spoken to someone for three or four days. I get so much out of it seeing these people come out of their shells.”

It was the darkest of times that brought out the best in our communities.

The Covid-19 pandemic saw a resilience and compassion emerge to help cope with the crisis.

Among the community organisations established during the pandemic is Skipton Step Into Action, which will benefit from funding through the new prevention grants under the Stay Healthy, Independent and Connected project.

The group launched just before the first lockdown and 360 volunteers were recruited to collect shopping and prescriptions for the most vulnerable members of society. A need was identified to support people who feel socially isolated, and initiatives have been set up, including the Ground Yourself in Green project in Aireville Park. Activities including arts and crafts, yoga and mindfulness events are held each Thursday between April and September.

A well-being café has been established and transport services are being developed after the group bought a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.

Skipton Step Into Action’s founder and chief executive officer, Charlotte McKeown, said: “Collaboration is so important across the whole of the voluntary sector, as we are able to help support and bring together our resources.”

Eggborough Methodist Church is a true hive of activity, so much more than simply a place of worship.

For the local community, it has become a vital hub at a time when the pace of modern life can leave some people feeling isolated.

After the building on Selby Road was renovated in 2015, a conscious effort was made to reach out to villagers, in particular the elderly.

Their coffee mornings, film clubs, line dancing and tea and tunes events have proved a huge success, with hundreds of people having attended over the years.

In colder months, the church has also operated as a warm space, enabling people to reduce their heating bills a little during the cost of living crisis.

Volunteer Maureen Wood has lived in Eggborough all her life and knows the value of the services the church offers.

“The people who come to these events love them,” she said. “A lot of them live on their own.

“They come to our events and they may know not know anyone, but we make them feel very welcome. They might not know everyone’s name the next time they come, but everyone knows theirs.”

Maureen, 73, added: “If I see someone looking at the noticeboard outside I’ll say ‘have you been to our coffee morning?’

“If they say ‘no’, I’ll say ‘well come, you won’t be sat on your own’.

“I do enjoy it and I would miss it if it wasn’t there.”

When it comes to volunteering, Siobhan Moore has a simple message.

“If you have kindness, compassion and common sense, go for it. Don’t just think about it, do it.”

A children and families social worker in Middlesbrough for 30 years, Siobhan, 69, is a carers respite sitting service volunteer with Community Works, a service for people in need in and around the Thirsk area.

“I met the first couple that I was hoping to be able to support the day after I retired.

“It’s unknown in their culture to consider and trust having support from a stranger. The expectation is that families will look after one another.

“Their daughter said to me ‘for mum to go out and trust you to look after dad is huge’. It was a privilege to keep the husband company while his wife went out and had a bit of free time.

“I did that twice a week until he died.”

Siobhan said she loves meeting people, all of whom enrich her life as much as she does theirs.

“Volunteering is not entirely altruistic. It’s for the feeling that it gives you as a human being; that you are contributing something useful to their lives.

“Everybody has skills and they can be brought into volunteering. All you need is kindness, patience and time.”

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