Louise & Marijke

Link Visiting Scheme volunteer Louise shares her experience of building connections with her Link friend and how volunteering has been so meaningful to her.

What do you tend to do together when you meet?

Marijke and I most often sit and have a chat or go for a walk or coffee. We also partake in the Link to Nature projects which we both get great pleasure from. We both had an allotment so joining Link to Nature was an obvious thing for us to do. We also laugh a lot which I know she really appreciates; she often tells me that she doesn’t laugh with anyone else like she laughs with me. We share a sense of humour.

We have so much in common, we were matched perfectly. She used to cycle all around the world with her husband and I recently took up cycling when I retired two and half years ago. She is very creative, she attends a weekly art class and I have recently taken up painting. We discovered that we both had exactly the same sewing machine which is a slightly unusual make and model. She will often say something and it is exactly as I would say it, which considering she is Dutch is amazing. We find things that we have in common on most of our visits.

Why did you decide to become a volunteer?

I decided to become a Link volunteer when I retired as I wanted to give something back to the community and when my Mum was alive I wished there had been something similar where she lived. I find it so rewarding and I have made a very special new friend.

Can you share a memorable moment?

She did tell me a funny little story yesterday, when she and her husband were cycling on their tandem they came to some woods and she said to him that they couldn’t continue on the tandem through the woods. She got off and he cycled off not realising she had got off. Luckily, he didn’t go too far before he realised!

Marijke was 90 last October and had a party with her family and friends to which my husband and I were invited. It was lovely to meet her daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchild and all the friends she talks about. I made her cake for this special occasion which was orange tulips (a Dutch theme) and I felt very privileged to do so.

I think Marijke has become more busy since I met her. We enjoy doing some of the Link activities together and are always amazed at how very well-organised they are. She enjoys the monthly Sunday lunch and feels privileged to be invited.