Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Sally our Quality Assurance Volunteer

Volunteers’ Week is an annual UK-wide campaign held in June to celebrate and recognise the contributions that volunteers make to charities.

Launched in 1984, this initiative has been running for over 40 years, shining a light on the amazing volunteers and saying thank you to current and past volunteers for their invaluable efforts.

For Volunteers' Week 2026, we caught up with Sally Fowler, our Quality Assurance Volunteer, to ask her more about her experience of volunteering and what motivated her to join the Age Scotland team.

What inspired you to start volunteering with Age Scotland?

I was looking for a volunteering role in a charity where I could be office-based in Edinburgh.  I enjoyed supporting older people when I worked at the Citizens' Advice Bureau, and I was keen to get involved with Age Scotland as I knew that it had a Helpline and Friendship Service.

Once I became involved with Age Scotland, I discovered that it delivered many other great services for older people. This reinforced my decision to start volunteering with Age Scotland.

What does volunteering mean to you?

I enjoy being involved with a good cause that I know benefits others. It is great to be part of a team that delivers a valuable service to older people.

Has volunteering changed your perspective in any way?

The volunteering I do has made me more aware of the real challenges many older people face daily, particularly in the context of accessing essential services and getting support. These days, many services and businesses forget that many older people cannot access the internet, and many don’t have smartphones.  They may also struggle to get out and about and connect with others.  I feel that the challenges of being an older person are very often ignored, and Age Scotland is really trying to address this.

What motivates you to keep volunteering?

I am motivated to keep volunteering because I believe Age Scotland makes a real difference to older people’s lives. It makes me feel good to be able to support the Helpline Team in delivering their valuable service.

If someone is undecided about volunteering for Age Scotland, what would you say to them?

The team at Age Scotland is so positive and supportive that they make you feel very welcome and part of the team from the very first day.  It’s definitely a great place to volunteer!