Always looking for new opportunities!

I’ve been volunteering since my early 20’s and am always looking for new opportunities. I’ve volunteered for nature conservation charities, a local Brownie group, the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust at their airshow at Scampton in 2017 and most recently for NHS England and Royal Voluntary Service as an NHS Volunteer Responder.

The one that stands out to me the most is my role with the NHS Volunteer Responder programme. In 2020 it was set up to help support people self-isolating during the Covid-19 pandemic. I wanted to make a real difference in people’s lives at a time when they most needed help, so I signed up as a Community Response volunteer. I’ve helped lots of different people, completed tasks around my full-time job - anything from picking up shopping to collecting prescriptions and then delivering items to people at home. I also spent time chatting with them either on the phone or socially distanced on their doorstep when I delivered their items. It’s been so rewarding to know that I’m able to help in some way.

Because of my volunteer work with the NHS I knew I wanted to do more to help people. When the opportunity came along to work at a vaccination centre, I jumped at the chance.

It’s amazing what opportunities I’ve found, volunteering helps me to get out and do something new, meet lots of different people and learn skills I never imagined I would!