Role-play is always interesting and provides me with another dimension to being retired

Alison Farrar, actor / role-player

I joined TVP as a volunteer nine years ago. While working at Loddon Valley Police Station helping in the local investigations office, I heard about role-play and decided to give it a go. I am so pleased I did. I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity it offers to meet so many different people- the fellow role-players and students for whom we do the different scenarios.

Usually I try and do one role-play day a week, choosing from dates we are given in advance so we can select days convenient to us. Most days we work at Sulhamstead.

The day begins with each of us being given the role we are doing that day - sometimes we work in pairs, sometimes on our own. The assessor runs through with us how they would like us to play things - being helpful and compliant to the students, or maybe not.

The students are in the early stages of their training, and it is always surprising to see how quickly they become more confident and adept. With them being in uniform it was quite a shock the first time I was arrested - it felt so real I went cold inside. Now I am far more used to being searched, arrested, and taken into custody.

Over the years I have had all sorts of roles to do - I have had handbags stolen, lost children, husbands with Alzheimer's, and been the victim of minor car accidents and obnoxious neighbours. My criminal record grows ever longer!

I still enjoy working at Loddon Valley, and role-play is always interesting. It certainly provides me with another dimension to being retired. I have also made lots of new friends by doing this which is a real bonus.

For more information about the current volunteering roles we have available please visit our website.