"Selfishly, I get so much joy volunteering for A Toudh of Gentleness, Being able to offer an ear, a safe space and for the ladies I give a massage to, the opportunity to feel validated and have a voice is an absolute honour. Helen has created something so special and it brings so much joy being a part or the A Touch Of Gentleness team. Gentleness wrapped in safe arms is what we offer."

MS

"When I receive smiles after doing the hand massages, I take those smiles home with me, they mean the world to me and the positivity and power of them remains with me for days after the volunteering....."

AJ

"It's so lovely to be able to bring a little bit of respite and comfort to people going through such a huge transition."

From a volunteer who offers A Touch of Gentleness at a cafe for Ukrainians

"I am a nurse and I work in critical care. having trained with A Touch of Gentleness I am now thoroughly enjoying now giving 'a touch of gentleness' hand massages to my patents. Its so rewarding To be able to provide therapeutic benefits and the comfort of hand massages specially to those that are unfortunately going through a time of great illness and stress. Many of our patients are bed bound, suffer pain or discomfort, and having to stay with us for many days if no weeks. Some can not speak due to a tracheostomy...so to provide a little extra to alleviate the stress they are going through is invaluable."

CD

"I can't remember feeling so much appreciation. It is so lovely to both give and receive."

PH

"It has given me so much more confidence"

SJ

"I never knew I had anything to give anyone."

RT

"The people who receive the massage are so appreciative, but what really bowls me over is how it makes me feel to give it. Wondrously wondrous 😁😁🌈🌈..."

JE

"Yesterday I stayed in bed all day.  Now I have something to get up for."

Anonymous

"What I enjoy the most about my volunteering work is a sense of satisfaction that even though my English is broken, I can still do something meaningful for others. The language barrier doesn’t feel like a huge boundary. I feel a sense of connection to others in community. It is more of a blessing to give than to receive, I feel much happier after starting my volunteering work in A Touch Of Gentleness."

WC

"Ever since I've attended the hand massage course, I'm passionately fond of the hand massage because it has helped my illness, friends and also people who need our gentle touch. I love to give them a good massage to make them happy, cheerful, smile and relax. More importantly I felt really connected with people deeply inside our hearts. After the first experience of offering people hand massages I felt i've achieved something which I've never done before or never dreamt of and I am very proud of myself."

AK

"As soon as I read the advert for The Touch of Gentleness training, I immediately knew I was being called to give my time to this charity. Little did I realise how many gifts there were to gain from my own giving. The massage itself has a huge benefit to the people I give to by way of touch and healing yet in turn it gives back 10 fold by the oxytocin created in the process, the simple act of kindness which is so easily forgotten in this fast paced world, and tuning into conscious listening. There is a kindness community being created through Helen Prosper, the charities founder, within the volunteer group that is equally reverberating outward to those that receive this healing and their communities. Not only have I been involved in local massage events, I have also been able lend my creative skills to the making of a banner, needed in participation of the Eastbourne festival."

"The next gift to come was one of profound beauty, as I attended an elderly gentlemen on the roadside, by absolute chance by giving him a Touch of Gentleness, as he took his last Breaths in this life and descended beyond this world."

"I feel so fortunate to have become a part of this community. It has shown me parts of myself that I thought were long ago buried within and it has reminded me how to shine my light and go gently forward always with a touch of Gentleness in every step of my life."

JM

"Volunteering is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever chosen to do, being part of the “Touch of gentleness” organisation has helped give me a sense of purpose again whilst connecting with elderly people whom suffer with dementia it’s helped me to have a greater understanding of the illness and giving my time for those who might just even need somebody to talk too or confide in… kindness is everything and I would really encourage people if they have the time to volunteer it might just be life saving for the person on the receiving end of a simple hand massage".

LS

"I so love the difference a ToG hand massage makes to our patients. Its made my job so much more rewarding and It has helped me connect more also with my colleagues who benefit from it too."

Nurse at Conquest Hospital

"I just wanted to share what you said about touch at the end of life and in traumatic situations on the course a few days ago, as it  has already really helped me. Briefly I went over to an old friend's house to collect some clothes and while I was in one room picking the clothes up I heard a bang from another room. I went in to see what was going on and saw that my friend had had a fall.  I was able to remember what you had said about touch so I just sat next to him talking and stroking him, and it really helped keep me focused and with him in the moment.  I called his son and an ambulance but they took a long time to arrive so for the next hour or two I  got him as comfortable as I could, and kept gently stroking him. I felt like I was drawing on all the gentlest elements I knew.

Eventually his son and the ambulance men arrived.  They were able to get him up off the floor, and took him into hospital overnight for checks.  When I spoke to him yesterday evening he was thankfully home and totally sounded himself. He said how reasured and comforted he felt by my caring touch and how truly grateful he was for that.  I was absolutely exhausted but also felt some comfort  with the knowledge that I had been able to do my absolute best for him. I feel truly grateful for all you had taught us about touch as it was so up in my mind and I had the presence to be able to apply it,  So thank you for your wisdom, it made a real difference to both of us on what would otherwise have felt like a very traumatic hours of hours''.

JN