Covid was the turning point for 70 year old Lynn Jenkins

“My husband was due to retire and he wanted to have a smallholding with animals… I was going to look after the animals until he fully retired. But sitting at home with the dogs got very boring and it was quite isolating, so I thought I’d try something different.”

Her first steps were with animal charities. She applied to Guide Dogs and Hearing Dogs to be a puppy socialiser. Hearing Dogs responded first, and Lynn “was very impressed with them,” starting a long stretch of work raising and socialising puppies for service.

About ten years into her husband’s retirement, the couple decided to volunteer together. They joined their local Search and Rescue team, responding to police calls for missing persons. Lynn balanced that with her puppy socialising work until age and physical demands led her to step back.

“We were with them for five years… I was still doing the puppies, but age hit me, and it became more of a struggle.”

Finding the Community Butterfly Role

The turning point came during COVID. Lynn stepped back from her physically demanding roles, but about 18 months ago, she spotted a story in the local newspaper about the Community Butterfly Service at Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

“I thought, what a fantastic idea that was — because of my history with my mum and my dad caring for her… I was really inspired to go for it. I kept pestering them, and eventually we had our training day in January.”

She began visiting patients early in the year, quickly realising the role’s emotional depth and importance.

Her training covered not only end-of-life companionship but also safety and wellbeing procedures.

Motivation and Purpose

Lynn’s motivation is deeply personal, rooted in her own experience of caring for loved ones and recognising the isolation faced by people nearing end of life:

“It’s made me realise how many lonely people there are out there, especially when they’re given a terminal diagnosis and literally sent home to die.”

“I’ve been so lucky in my life to have people around me… it’s made me realise how many lonely people there are, especially when they’re given a terminal diagnosis and literally sent home to die.”

Lynn is particularly conscious of how small gestures of human connection can provide dignity and comfort at the end of life.

“I know we make a difference. My ladies look forward to me going… I provide companionship, respite for their carers — whatever support I can give.”

She also feels a strong sense of gratitude for the people and support she has had in her own life, and wants to pass that on.

“I’ve been so lucky in my life to have people around me… It’s my turn to be there for someone else.”

Support from the Service

The Community Butterfly Service prioritises volunteer safety and wellbeing. Lynn described their processes in detail:

Safety measures: Check-in calls on arrival and departure, planned security buttons, code words for emergencies.

Debriefing: Post-visit debrief sessions to ensure volunteers are coping emotionally.

Ongoing development: Regular team meetings, training days, and open lines of communication.

She also speaks highly and warmly of the trust’s staff:

“The support we have, I think, has been absolutely wonderful. They have been so good, so helpful, so supportive, and so encouraging.”

Progression and Experience

Since joining, Lynn has built deep trust with her patients and has become a recognised part of the team. She volunteers weekly — visiting one patient on Wednesday afternoons and another on Thursdays — and is committed to keeping these visits a fixed part of her calendar.

“Life goes around my visits… I always make time. They’re very important to the patient. Those days are on the calendar, and everything else fits around them.”

She has also helped with fundraising and is open to supporting in other ways, but her primary joy comes from the visits themselves. She and her team were recently nominated as finalists in the BBC Make a Difference Award for Cambridge, an achievement she humbly credits to the whole group.

Highlights of Her Volunteering Journey

Meaningful connections: Meeting lovely patients and witnessing their courage and extraordinary resilience in the face of terminal diagnoses.

Learning about life situations: Seeing the variation in family support and the impact of loneliness

Shared purpose: Meeting “like-minded people” who also give their time freely.

“Being fit and healthy enough to do it… that’s a highlight in itself.”

• Providing companionship that patients genuinely look forward to.

• Seeing the gratitude not only from patients but also from carers who get vital respite.

• Being part of a team nominated for the BBC Make a Difference Award.

Some moments have been sobering. Lynn recounted the story of a patient who had to pay someone just to stay overnight so she could take a bath — a reminder of the challenges many face in private.

Personal Gains

Volunteering has been transformative for Lynn’s confidence and self-image.

“I was a very shy person… even speaking to someone in a supermarket brought horrors to me. Now I feel comfortable speaking to anyone. I never thought I could go into someone’s home and start talking to them, but now I can — and I love it.”

It has also deepened her gratitude for her own life and her husband’s support.

“I’ve realised how privileged I’ve been… and I’m grateful to my husband for looking after the dogs while I go visiting.”

Future Plans

Lynn intends to continue her current role, valuing direct patient contact over leadership or administrative responsibilities. She’s also happy to assist with fundraising and other supportive tasks.

“I’m not full of aspirations to lead this or that - I like just going out and doing what I’m expected to do.”

Message to Potential Volunteers

Her advice is simple but heartfelt:

“Go for it. You think you haven’t got the time, but you can always make time. Life can go around your visits — because they’re important.”

Impact on Perceptions of Volunteering 

Lynn is passionate about shifting the perception of volunteers as “optional extras” in healthcare:

 “Going into homes is a wonderful initiative… patients and carers are so appreciative, because they can get a couple of hours respite.”

Inspired by tens and thousands of volunteers like Lynn, who wish to volunteer for the NHS to give back, Helpforce has launched a three-year campaign 'Giving Back, Transforming Care' to inspire national conversations, foster deeper public engagement and shift perceptions of healthcare volunteering from a 'nice to have' to a strategic imperative. Learn more about this ambitious campaign here.