How do you fill your time?

There are insufficient hours in the day for me - mainly because I spend too much time on this gadget!

Agree. Voluntary work can be a new beginning. It doesn't matter if the first attempt isn't right, just see what else is out there. It can be as taxing or not as you prefer, as little or as much time as meets your needs. I would suggest it is best if you believe in the ethos and aims of the organisation. It's ok to check organisations out. This is a dire time of year for many of us. Good luck with finding something to cheer you.

Have you considered working for a charity as a volunteer? The range of opportunities goes way beyond standing behind the counter in a charity shop, enjoyable but not everyone's cup of tea. In my area the range of voluntary jobs ranges from helping look after the donkeys in a donkey sanctuary,to caring for redundant churches to running helplines - and that is only ones I know of. My county council has a voluntary work opportunities page on its website and some areas have Volunteer Centres.

If you enjoyed your work and have skills that could be useful in the voluntary sector look for a suitable opportunity. Some years ago I was made redundant into early retiremment, after a year trying to find work I took my skills to the voluntary sector and quickly found a suitable opportunity.

Apart from spending about 4 hours a day on the computer, I like nothing better than a good read, with a bit of TV here and there. Boring to some, maybe, but suits me!