With encouragement from her family, Ricky started volunteering to stop feeling isolated after Roy, her husband of 54 years, sadly died, having been dedicated to caring for him for a few years while he was unwell. Now a firm fixture in holiday and after school clubs, Ricky shares what volunteering means to her…

I've always loved children. It's amazing how creative they are. They're fun, they make you laugh, they bring you out of yourself. You can be childish with them; I'm 76 now and I always join in the games because they love that. I think if you take part as well, they love it. At the holiday club they call me Nan; ‘is Nan coming?’ they say. So it's lovely when they greet you.

I was asked if I would like to volunteer and I said I definitely would be interested, but I wanted to wait a little while. I didn't feel I was quite ready mixing with people. I didn't really want to go out or do a lot. I had the dog and guinea pig and the rabbit, but it was just very difficult to try and get my brain changed over because I feel like I've lost one part of me and to get myself back together, it's quite hard. I wasn't really getting out other than going out for lunch with the children or for bits of food or to get the animal stuff or to the garden centre.

So I did hold back for a while because I really wasn't up to it, then I went along to a creative session at the Hospice for patients and bereaved families to take part and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed the painting and creative things, and they were nice people I was with. I got involved in what I was doing and I was concentrating, so I didn’t really say much, although I do like to chatter to people and that definitely helps.

After that I went along to help at the holiday club, the whole six weeks. I did two or three a week for about six hours a day and then I started with the after school clubs. I really enjoy it because I've always been sort of creative more than theoretically. I am more practical, I love making things. It's amazing that time just goes so quickly. 

The children love slime! Slime, every time you go ‘can we have slime today?’

I've always worked with children, I love children. I started off working at a play group and became a supervisor and then we started up a mother and toddler group in the village. I went on and did childminding for a while and then I was asked would I like to join the shared care scheme which was helping parents by giving them some respite, so I would look after children any age from really young babies up to young adulthood. I was a Brownie leader for 24 years. I used to go on pack holidays with them and that was lovely. I helped out with Rangers and Guides as well. I was a badge tester and I became a trainer for the division. We used to look after the grandchildren in between while their parents were at work. We stopped over with them and thoroughly enjoyed it, playing games and doing all sorts of creative things. 

I did training as a nurse and worked in a hospital, I wanted to be a children's nurse but I did find that I hadn’t got quite enough qualifications so I just carried on doing general nursing and then eventually I thought, I want to go back and look after children. 

I was working as a nursery nurse at a college, there 18 years, when Roy started to get quite poorly. Roy really was needing 24 hour care for about three years and it was nice that I was able to do it for him. 

I find if I'm doing things, I'm better. If I dare stop my brain then I'll get really down after losing Roy. We were married for 54 years, nearly 55 years. I was almost 21 when we got married and Roy would have been 22, nearly 23. 

Oh, he used to make me laugh. He was a character, anything dangerous he'd do! I think what attracted me to him was he reminded me of Peter Noone from Herman’s Hermits. He always had lovely curly hair and he had that cheeky smile, he always had that cheeky smile.

Volunteering keeps me busy. I think it's a good idea for somebody when they're on their own. Some days it is hard because I might feel stiff and everything but I think it's good because I haven't got time to think about it, it's busy all the time. 

Children can be very creative if you encourage them, it's amazing how creative they can be, even the little ones. Especially if you like working with children, I would definitely say volunteer with The Creation Station. It's worth giving volunteering a try no matter what age you are. I mean, I'm 76 and I love it. I still think I'm a child sometimes. They were doing hula hoop the other day and I did have a go. I used to be able to get to 200, about five is my limit now! See, I love taking part and this is what the children love, if you join in with them as well.