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Charity praises 30 years’ service from longest serving volunteer who has passed away
| Published: 31st May 2022 14:50 |
A LEADING Southampton charity working towards ending loneliness and isolation in the city has this week paid tribute to its longest serving volunteer who has recently passed away (May 2022).
Wes Philp, aged 82, who died on March 6, joined the Communicare team within weeks of the organisation’s formation in 1991 and was a stalwart supporter.
Annie Clewlow, Manager at Communicare, says: “We were so very sad to hear that our longest serving volunteer, Wes, has passed away. He’ll be very sorely missed by us all in a whole variety of ways, including his down to earth advice as we navigated this constantly changing world.
“It is particularly poignant to have lost Wes now, as we celebrated our 30th anniversary last year, and he was presented with a long service award, along with 28 other Communicare volunteers, who all received recognition for between five and 15-years’ service. His son Matthew and daughter-in-law Leanne said he was incredibly honoured by his 30-year certificate and proudly showed it off to family and friends. As a result of his role with our charity, they asked for donations to Communicare at the funeral and raised an amazing £770, which we’re very grateful for.”
Communicare, which is a friendly, neighbourhood charity, provides services that enrich the lives of lonely and isolated people in and around Southampton. Its services are staffed by its committed, kind-hearted volunteers, known as Communiteers, who give their time freely.
Annie adds: “Wes was there at the beginning and was one of our first Communiteers. Sadly, those who can remember the start of our charity are now dwindling in number and we were indebted to Wes for all the memories he shared with us from those early years. More recently, he shared with us all the goings on with his two young granddaughters, aged seven and five, who he talked about a lot – he said they kept him young! His family and friends here at Communicare are going to miss him tremendously.”
The charity’s Good Neighbours’ Network is currently supporting around 600 individuals/families through tasks including one-to-one telephone befriending and transport for essential appointments and assistance with shopping.
Speaking in November at the award ceremony, Wes said: “My faith is what first motivated me to volunteer with Communicare, and I knew then that I was joining something very special. The charity has come on in leaps and bounds since the early days and being able to watch it grow and expand throughout the years has been wonderful.
“Celebrating a 30-year anniversary is a fantastic achievement and having so many volunteers being recognised for their long service to people in need in Southampton is something that we’re all very proud of.”
David Glenn is a Communicare volunteer and has fond memories of Wes.
He said: “I used to go fishing with Wes and he was very patient with my inexperience. He always put the worms on the hook for me, as he knew I was too squeamish to be able to do it. I never did become any good at fishing but looked forward to our trips, as Wes was always very good company.
“He told me years ago, when on one of our fishing trips, about his Communicare volunteering and I was so impressed that I decided to join too! More than 10 years later and I am still volunteering.
“Wes was a role model for me to try and follow and no doubt he was for many other people. His faith shone through in the way he lived his life, always putting others before himself. I am so glad to have known him and counted him as a very good friend and mentor.”
Communicare volunteer and former Trustee, Bob Petch, also had kind words to say about Wes.
He said: “Volunteering is a very rewarding and satisfying activity, and Wes, through the outworking of his strong faith, led the way by displaying his selfless willingness for more than 30 years to bring a little richness into the lives of lonely and isolated people in our community.”
Communicare is always looking for more volunteers to increase its outreach.
The services Communicare provides are free to users, although beneficiaries are invited to make a donation if they are able to, and Communiteers are offered expenses.
Anyone interested in finding out more can visit https://communicareinsouthampton.org.uk/volunteer/ or call 023 8250 0050.
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