Julian's volunteering story

Julian’s volunteering journey at Demelza began in 2011 after his wife, who volunteered in the gardens and kitchens, invited him to come along to an open day.

“I was impressed. I asked if they needed any more help, so they asked what kind of things I could do, and I said, well, I can do photography – I’m a photographer.

I began doing photography about 10 years before I started at Demelza, but I was only semi-professional. I took photos at events and did some product stuff, and I did alright – I won a few competitions – but that was more about what other people wanted, whereas the stuff I do for Demelza is more enjoyable.”

Over the past 14 years, Julian has photographed countless Demelza events, locations and activities, from our charity shops to our Miles in May walks and more.

“A couple of weeks ago I did a session with the other volunteers, the drivers and housekeepers, and that was great because I got to meet different people. Last week I was photographing the sculptures for Trail with a Tale. It’s all rewarding.”

When asked his favourite part about volunteering for Demelza, his answer was immediate:

“Working with the children and getting to see how much they love being here. The Christmas events are always fun because the kids all come and sit with Santa, and we used to print out a little photograph for them right there and then and give it to them to keep. These kids, they’ve got a very difficult life, and it’s not always easy for them to enjoy it, but they impress you by how they manage to enjoy themselves and what they do.

I just thoroughly enjoy taking photographs - I get completely absorbed in it, so it has some therapeutic value for me. You can just forget about everything else. So, I’ve been very lucky really, in the fact that I do volunteer work, but it’s not really like work at all for me.”

For Julian, one of the best things about volunteering is that you can do what works for you - it’s not just about what you give, but what you get back too.

“Demelza has always been there if needed, they’ve always listened. There haven’t ever really been any difficulties, but I know if there were, like any health concerns, I could just ask, and they would accommodate. Volunteering with Demelza is enjoyable and rewarding, genuinely. And the same with a lot of things - the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.”