The Transformative Impact of Volunteering Insights from Greg Thomas CEO of Neath Port Talbot Carers Service

chizobame
Jun 5
3 min read

"They're Our Lifeline": NPTCS CEO Shares Why Volunteers Are the Heartbeat of Caring in Neath Port Talbot

By Greg Thomas, CEO, Neath Port Talbot Carers Service | Volunteer Week Feature

Merthyr Tydfil, 2010. Eighteen anxious faces packed a cramped advice session. Housing worries hung thick in the air. Amid the chaos, one calm presence changed everything: a volunteer. Greeting clients, triaging crises, checking paperwork – their quiet competence turned bedlam into order. That moment, during my time at Shelter Cymru, seared a truth into me: volunteers aren’t just helpers. They’re the invisible engine keeping vital services running.

This belief deepened at Citizens Advice. From students gaining skills to retirees giving back, volunteers didn’t just manage desks – they advised on complex benefits and debt. Their common thread? A simple desire to make a difference. That human connection, that willingness to give time – it’s the soul of volunteering.

Why Volunteering Isn’t Just Nice – It’s Necessary

Let’s be blunt. A decade of austerity has stripped back services. Funding cuts have forced impossible choices, vanishing lifelines across social care. Volunteers now step into the breach. They’re not a replacement for skilled, paid staff – that’s non-negotiable. But without them? Frankly, countless people across Neath Port Talbot would simply fall through the cracks.

They bridge critical gaps: keeping people supported at home, preventing crises, and freeing up charities like ours to focus on core work. They are, quite literally, the lifeblood of our communities – stopping the system from haemorrhaging.

How Volunteers Power Our Mission at NPTCS

At Neath Port Talbot Carers Service, volunteers aren’t an add-on – they’re fundamental. Our flagship Sitting Service is the perfect example.

Picture the unpaid carers we support: exhausted heroes, often isolated, for whom a simple haircut or coffee with a friend feels impossible. Our volunteers step in. Carefully matched with a carer and their loved one, they provide trusted companionship for a few precious hours. It’s more than respite; it’s a lifeline.

The impact ripples out:

Carers get breathing space – time for shopping, appointments, or simply being themselves.
Loved ones enjoy continuity of care in a familiar setting.
Expensive, overstretched statutory services are kept at bay.
Unexpected bonds blossom between volunteers, carers, and those they care for.

Your Skills, Your Time: Where Could You Fit?

Our volunteering tapestry is rich and varied:

Sitting Service Volunteers: Our most urgent need. Offer companionship, give a carer respite. Flexible hours.
Trustees: Guide our charity’s future. We need diverse voices and expertise at board level.
Community Champions: Help staff run social groups – walking clubs, art sessions, film nights (or even a local history group – my personal passion!).
Office Support: Assist our core team with vital admin tasks.
Editorial Board (Carers Voice): Shape our relaunched community newsletter. What stories matter?

Whether you’re a student, retired, working part-time, or simply have a few hours spare – your unique skills and life experience matter here. Every role directly shapes the support local carers receive.

Building Tomorrow’s Volunteer Family

We urgently need more Sitting Service volunteers right now. But our vision goes further. We dream of more community activities – clubs, groups, events – enriching carers' lives. We’re actively seeking funding to make this happen and prove the demand exists. We also constantly seek passionate individuals to join our Trustee Board.

Honestly? Growing our volunteer family responsibly depends on two things: securing more funding and ensuring our small staff team has the capacity to support every volunteer brilliantly. The financial squeeze makes volunteers more crucial than ever, yet managing this growth needs resource.

Could You Be Part of Our Lifeline?

Volunteering with NPTCS isn’t about filling time. It’s about filling a critical gap in someone’s life. It’s about being the calm presence in someone’s storm, the reason a carer finally gets that haircut, the hand that keeps a vital service running.

As Volunteer Week celebrates these quiet heroes, we ask: Could that hero be you?

Ready to Make a Tangible Difference?Join our volunteer family at Neath Port Talbot Carers Service.Contact us today to discuss how your time and skills can change lives: