As reported a couple of weeks ago, I have retired and moved to Wales after spending a long time as the chair of governors of Hertswood School. I enjoyed living in Borehamwood and one thing in particular sticks out which makes the town such a special place – volunteering.

It has been my good fortune for 25 years or so to have been involved in a range of voluntary groups in the area. These have been very rewarding experiences volunteering alongside other people committed to making life better for local people. It has been great working with people of all ages, ethnic and religious backgrounds, positions in society and political persuasions, who shared a common interest in making Borehamwood a better place by helping out.

I also learned a great deal from other volunteers, even though we often had different views on some matters. We were able to put differences aside and concentrate on the job in hand. This, in turn, helped me and others to be more tolerant of each other and see things from other peoples’ perspectives. This is good for a community so I would commend readers who have not yet been involved in volunteering to consider putting up their hand the next time they hear about help being needed in a local school, youth group, pensioners club, etc.

I believe the health of a town can be measured by the amount of time local residents volunteer to help others living in their area. You only need to look around to see that volunteering is alive and well in Borehamwood and long may this continue.

Graham Taylor

South Street, Rhayader