.png)
After more than 30 years in policing, Polly, a retired officer, found a new way to support young people - this time outside of uniform. Now volunteering as a befriender through NYAS’s Independent Visitor scheme, she reflects on her policing career, the importance of trusted adults in young people’s lives, and why she believes more retired officers should consider volunteering.
“You learn a lot about people”
When asked whether her policing background influenced her decision to volunteer, Polly says the connection feels obvious. “Definitely. Being a police officer is all about working with people of all ages, often when they’re going through the worst time in their lives.” She explains that over the years, policing has changed significantly in how it approaches vulnerable young people.
“I think now there’s much more understanding around why young people might run away or struggle,” she says. “Years ago, it was often dismissed as bad behaviour. Now people are much more inquisitive about what’s really going on underneath.” Her experience in child protection also helped shape how she approaches conversations with young people today. “But being an Independent Visitor is different,” she says. “It’s more about building trust, spending time together, having fun, and just being a reliable person in their life.”
Discovering NYAS and meeting Sam
Polly first discovered NYAS while browsing for volunteer opportunities online after retirement.
“I’d never heard of NYAS before,” she says. “I’d retired, I was doing a bit of part-time work, but I thought I’d like to do something worthwhile. I came across the Independent Visitor role and thought just sounded interesting. I applied, had a conversation with the team, and eventually they said they thought they’d found a match for me.”
That match – whose name we’ve changed to Sam - has now been part of her life for almost four years. She remembers their first meeting clearly. “We just went for a walk after school. He was very chatty - mostly about science fiction and all sorts of things I didn’t really understand. I just hoped I was saying ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ in the right places!”
Over the years, they’ve visited museums, gone rowing, explored castles and tried all sorts of activities she says she would never normally have done herself. “That’s one of the lovely things about it,” she says. “You end up going to places and doing things you’d never have thought about otherwise.”
Learning together (at high speeds!)
One outing that particularly stands out was their first go-karting session. “I’m an ex-traffic cop and I love driving,” she says. “I thought, ‘This will be easy.’ It absolutely wasn’t. The go-kart was like a lawnmower on steroids!”
Neither of them had tried it before. “We both turned up with these grand strategies in our heads and neither of them worked,” she laughs. “We were nowhere near the fastest people there, but we came away absolutely buzzing.”
What made the day memorable, she says, was that they were both stepping outside their comfort zones together. “It was one of those moments where we were both learning something new at the same time. That made it really special.”
“Sometimes it’s just about being there”
Over the years, she has seen Sam grow from a child into a young man. “He’s taller than me now!” she says. “He’s always been thoughtful and considerate, but he’s matured enormously.” Like many young people in care, she says he has faced challenges and uncertainty along the way. During difficult periods, she realised that simply continuing to show up mattered more than anything else.
“There were times he was quieter or withdrawn, and I learned not to force conversation,” she says. “Sometimes it was enough just to spend time together, get a hot chocolate, go for a walk - just let him know somebody was there.” She believes consistency can make a real difference. “Hopefully, just being that steady person walking alongside him has helped in some small way.”
“I feel very proud to be a part of his life”
When asked what volunteering means to her personally, she pauses. “It sounds a bit pious, doesn’t it?” she says. “But I do feel like I’m hopefully doing some good for somebody else.”
Polly says that volunteering has given her a sense of purpose after retirement.
“If you can have a positive impact on a young person who’s had a difficult start in life, that’s a privilege really. You could be the steady rock someone needs. I feel very proud to be part of his life.”
