'Discovering joy of volunteering has felt like freedom to me'

DAVID HAS A FRESH LEASE OF LIFE WITH TRENT & DOVE JOB

- By JOSEPH RICHARDS

A MAN has told how volunteering with housing provider Trent & Dove has "changed his life".

David Eyre's crippling anxiety and depression left him unable to leave the house or even answer the phone.

But he is now a changed man and a familiar face serving free refreshments at Trent & Dove's touring Coffee Connect van.

Before he took the brave step of getting in touch with his local job centre for help, the only human contact David had was with his parents.

Two years on and as well as helping out at the coffee van, he also supports Trent & Dove's furniture project, or gets his hands dirty in the housing association’s community gardens.

He is now looking for full-time work thanks to his new-found confidence.

David, 50, said: “Before I started volunteering, my confidence was shattered. I wanted to start being more independent and not rely on my parents. But I didn’t know how.

“I'd been through so much, and although I wanted to move past it, I found it hard to take the first step.

“Trent & Dove were supportive and helped me build my confidence and skills. Eventually, I began to settle in and grow in confidence, and I loved being there, so I increased my volunteering from one to four days a week.