Volunteer recognised at BBC Make a Difference Awards

A volunteer who has spent more than 26 years supporting older people across Oxfordshire has been recognised with a prestigious BBC Make a Difference Award. 

Jo Doherty, one of our telephone befriending volunteers, was named the winner of the Volunteer Award at the BBC Radio Oxford Make a Difference Awards, which celebrate people who make their communities better places through their kindness and dedication. 

Jo began volunteering in 2000 after having to retire early from her nursing career due to ill health. Looking for a way to continue helping others, she joined Age UK Oxfordshire as a volunteer Phone Friend, providing regular telephone companionship to older people experiencing loneliness and isolation across the county. 

Despite being housebound herself, Jo continues to volunteer every week, making calls to older people across Oxfordshire and providing friendship, connection and a listening ear. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when many people felt particularly isolated, she doubled the number of calls she made in order to support even more people.  

Commenting on receiving the award, Jo said: "I would like to say that I am very humbled and delighted to receive this award. I don't leave my home these days, nevertheless I continue to volunteer as a Phone Friend." 

She added that volunteering has given her purpose and allowed her to continue making a difference to others, something she has remained committed to throughout her years of volunteering.  

Paul Ringer, CEO of Age UK Oxfordshire, said:  "We’re delighted that Jo has received this well-deserved recognition. For more than 26 years, she has given her time to support older people across Oxfordshire, helping them feel less alone and more connected. 

"Jo embodies everything that makes volunteering so valuable. Her weekly calls provide friendship and reassurance to people who might otherwise feel isolated, and her commitment has never wavered, even when facing significant health challenges herself. 

"Everyone at Age UK Oxfordshire is incredibly proud of Jo and grateful for the difference she continues to make. She is an inspiration." 

Jo says she intends to continue volunteering for as long as she is able, carrying on the work that has brought comfort and friendship over more than two decades.

Our Phone Friends service matches trained volunteers with older people who would benefit from regular social contact and companionship. The service helps reduce loneliness and supports older people to stay connected to their communities.

Find out more about Phone Friends, or if you could spare some time to support an older person, why not explore our volunteering opportunities?