'I never left the house before volunteer support'

"Freedom," great-grandmother Barbara Eden said to herself as she stood in her doorway with her shopping trolley.

It is a "wonderful feeling" to be shopping on her own, now she has the support system in place to leave the house thanks to volunteer drivers, she says.

Mrs Eden, 82, was pointed in the direction of the Rushcliffe Community and Voluntary Service in Nottinghamshire by a healthcare worker.

"Before that I was in 24/7," she said. "I never got out the house."

Mrs Eden, from West Bridgford in Nottinghamshire, said she has had to rely on family members to drive her to appointments and take her shopping, but their busy schedules meant it was not always possible.

Then she was put in touch with volunteers from the Rushcliffe community service, who help transport elderly and vulnerable people in the area to appointments and shops, as well as offering them companionship.

"It makes me feel so much better when I can go out that door and get a bit of fresh air in my lungs," Mrs Eden said.

Over the three and a half years she has used the transport service, she said some of the volunteers had also become her friends.

"The drivers are really friendly and they're always talking to you. It's really, really nice," she said.

"I appreciate it very much, I really do, because without it I wouldn't get out."

Tony Bray, from Gamston in Nottinghamshire, still misses driving since he had to stop two and a half years ago.

Now he uses the service's minibus for his journeys instead, which he has described as "fantastic".

"The drivers and their assistance are so wonderful and the camaraderie of our group on this bus is terrific," he said.

Paul Turnbull, decided to join the group of volunteer drivers when he retired.

"I was in the very fortunate position of being able to retire early and I didn't want to sit at home watching daytime TV and I enjoy driving - so it's perfect," he said.

As well as "doing some good", the 62-year-old said he also got something out of it.

"From a purely selfish point of view, you get to meet some fascinating people who've got great stories to tell," he said.

"Sometimes I wish the drives were a little bit longer to be honest."

He added: "I like to think that when I'm their age in their position, somebody will be there for me as well."

And chief executive of the Rushcliffe Community and Voluntary Service, Carolyn Perry, hopes there will be.

"Our volunteers are vital to our service," she said.

"We have over 200 volunteers who support our operations and that's our volunteer drivers, our befrienders, our office volunteers, who are absolutely the lifeblood of our organisation."

She added the service was "always looking for volunteers".

"People that want to contribute, people that want to make a difference to somebody else's life," she added.

Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.