Our annual Jolly Volly Day is always a special occasion, giving us the chance to get together, have some fun and, most importantly, say a huge thank you to the wonderful volunteers who make In Jolly Good Company what it is.
We kicked things off with introductions and a brilliant guessing game, with everyone miming the jobs they'd done before. There was plenty of laughter and some very impressive acting! It was also a lovely reminder of the wealth of skills, knowledge and life experience our volunteers bring with them.
Kate kept everyone on their toes with her Dorset quiz, covering everything from local geography and literature to nature. Questions about the rare yellow-headed grass snake and Dartford warbler proved a bit tricky, but our clever Jollies came away with almost full marks!
After all that brainwork, it was time for lunch. George and Claire from The Friendly Food Club treated us to a delicious spread, starting with London Particular soup served with rosemary croutons, crispy bacon and chunky tiger baguettes, followed by scrumptious sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and gloriously gooey caramel sauce. There were gluten-free and dairy-free options too, so everyone was well looked after.
With full tummies, we enjoyed a gentle stroll around the village beneath the beautiful autumn leaves before returning for a cuppa and an afternoon of creativity.
Kate got everyone making chocolate-covered dates filled with peanut butter and apricot, while Anni showed us how to make lovely origami gift boxes using old donated calendars supplied by Max. Jo, one of our West Moors volunteers, shared her talents too, showing us how to fold serviettes into beautiful lilies. So much creativity and so many lovely ideas shared!
The chocolatey treats fitted perfectly into the handmade boxes, making a rather lovely little gift for everyone to take home. There was also a bag of Lush goodies which they had kindly donated.
To all our Jolly Vollies, a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU!
Whether you're helping at a Jolly, making someone feel welcome, sharing a skill, offering a listening ear or simply bringing a smile to someone's face, you make such a difference.
Your kindness, time, enthusiasm and generosity are at the heart of everything we do. We really couldn't do it without you, and we're so lucky to have you all as part of our Jolly family.
