What Activities do our retired non-working members partake in during the week to keep busy?

I am struggling to find things to do to keep my wife and I active during the daytime and was hoping our Community Members could share some insight into what sort of things they do to fill those days and perhaps evenings.

Obviously there are members here of working age too, which is why I am really targeting this post towards our retired members for some advice, please, i.e. for people of ages 60+ which fits the age group of my wife and I, though at 58 I do not feel that age at all.

Restrictions due to ability

There are restrictions in our life which can prevent us being able to do things together, for instance my wife is unable to walk and requires her wheelchair for mobility, so distance activities without transport would be an issue. Maybe some of our members have similarities to these?

Daytime and Evening Activities or Groups

I would love to get an idea of what activities/groups our members interact with in their local areas on a weekly basis to fill your days, week days preferably and mornings, afternoons, and evenings, that are easy to become apart of and to get along with. Please share anything that you're involved with. It will be great to hear from you.

Also...

Volunteering Roles and Activities

I have been involved in various volunteering roles for the past 34 years, mostly through minibus driving for various Community Groups and the Charities that organise them. I am now looking to start afresh, giving my time to something new. Other roles I have undertaken in the past include various Treasurer & Secretarial positions with Groups and Charities including Arthritis Care, Devon Air Ambulance and of course Benenden Health.
I have recently come across a new lottery funded charity service named as Royal Voluntary Service which calls for people with interest in this to 'Start Volunteering Through GoVo'. Their website provides links to volunteering opportunities within our own postcode areas. Hopefully I will be able to find something on their website that would be of interest to me, and there is lots of opportunity in my area from what I have seen so far.

I would also love to hear from our Community members too, hoping that they may like to share the types of voluntary roles they currently give their time to, please.

I look forward to reading all your ideas and suggestions to help my wife and I find something we will enjoy together. Thank you.

Hi Brian
That’s a difficult one! I do loads of volunteering for different groups but finding one that suits you will take time. Search on line as you need to be interested in the subjects. I have just joined the Patient Participation Group at my GP surgery. The people are fun and in addition to helping with vaccination days and patient feedback, we also fundraise for specialist equipment.

Telephone helplines are always looking for people so that’s another option.
You are so good taking minutes voluntary organisations would welcome you with open arms!
I do a lot of work with women’s refuges so there must be men’s refuges too.
that’s just a start!

This year I started volunteering for the NT on the white cliffs as a guide in an underground shelter . To be fair the 125 steps up and down mean you have to be fit and able to volunteer there but there are many less adventurous roles to be filled . Autumn and winter we have lots of mini breaks and always holiday during the winter to be home in time to get the allotment up and running . We both walk a lot in fair weather as not a lover of rain . Whatever you do keep active

Hi BrianGotts - I love how passionate you are about volunteering and helping other people. Have you looked into organisations such as the Rotary Club or the Lions clubs in your local area? They do some great work locally and even globally, and have a really broad range of areas they are involved in. Many towns have foodbanks and other similar projects that are always looking for volunteers too.

PhilBlackman Thanks for your reply. Your winter holidays - are they abroad to somewhere warmer? Not really something we can easily do unfortunately. NT is something we have looked though. Maybe I will give this another thought as my wife does like visiting the stately homes. Thanks.

NickEmmett Thanks for your reply too. Good suggestions. I was considering food banks and soup kitchens but not sure who to contact. Also I thought Lions Club and Rotary Club were voluntary opportunities for business people to volunteer their spare time with spare cash too , I don't wish to offend anyone with my thought.

IzzieCorrigan Many thanks for your suggestions also. I have seen the Patient Participation Group advertised on my GP's notice board and wondered what it was about. Thanks.

Hi BrianGotts this years holiday was Buenos Aires , cruise to Antarctica followed by another through the Chilean fjords and Valparaiso and Santiago , so low 30’s c to below freezing and gradually back up to low 30’s c . This winter it’s Florida , Peru and Ecuador and back to Florida including Machu pichu and the Galápagos Islands. All places on the bucket list . Need to get the long distance stuff with hire cars done before I hit 70 as it becomes harder to hire cars done.