“No one has told me to shut up yet!” laughs volunteer entertainer Stan Belling, “so if they’re happy with me, then I’m happy.”
And they are! Stan volunteers two days a week “banging out chords on the piano” and singing to residents at Uniting AgeWell Strathdon Community.
He’s been volunteering there for a year now following the death of his wife, Judith, who was a resident at Strathdon Community. She moved in after a few strokes as she needed higher care than Stan could provide at home.
Stan is, however, a very modest man. He recently performed at the Celebration of Ageing Well event, and it must be said his playing is pretty good!
The 87-year-old says the idea to volunteer came after the many times he used to sit with Judith while entertainers performed at Strathdon Community. “I thought, the main thing is that people need to sing along with you – singing is so good for the brain! And that’s what I do. I make sure that people sing along with me.”
South-African raised Stan met his Australian wife in London and moved to Melbourne with her over 50 years ago. They have two children, and grandchildren.
He ran his own business in sales and management training and travelled widely. He speaks four languages – English, Afrikaans, Spanish and Portuguese. Stan lives on his own, cycles every morning and cooks for himself. He enjoys a glass of wine at night too!
This is his first volunteering gig, and he says he loves it. “It’s rewarding when I hear people singing along,” he says. “It’s nice to know I’m making a difference.”
Would you like to enrich your life and that of others? There are so many ways of volunteering with Uniting AgeWell including in residential aged care and in social connections, where you can visit an older person at home or even chat to them on the phone.
Uniting AgeWell invests in its volunteers - they are given training, and of course there are the usual checks and protocols to work through during the onboarding process.
Find out about our volunteering opportunities