This volunteer befriends with Nottinghamshire Healthcare. They have befriended service users in our Forensic Services as well as by telephone within the Community Services and by letter to adult mental health wards, amongst other roles.
How would you describe what you do in your volunteer role with Nottinghamshire Healthcare?
- a) Continued volunteer befriending at Arnold Lodge (currently on Skype)
- b) involvement in the “Just a Note to Say” project: writing to service users at Kingsley Ward and Willows PICU who don’t have visits
- c) Since February, 2021, contributing to the Reducing Restrictive Practices Group in the Forensic Division, including writing a draft report and related work
- d) continued telephone befriending to two people (as part of a Trust befriending project until the end of March, 2021
- e) completion of mandatory training and attending meetings for volunteers.
How has the pandemic affected your role?
Volunteer befriending at Arnold Lodge has needed to switch from face-to-face visits to Skype visits. I’ve taken on additional voluntary work (outlined above) in an attempt to contribute to work related to the pandemic.
How do you feel about returning to your face to face volunteering role?
I feel nervous and excited at the same time, can’t wait to get back to my role. It will be very different socially distancing and having COVID tests will soon get used to a new normal, appreciate the importance keeping everyone safe. It will be great that the patients will be able to have face to face contact again with visitors.
How has it been doing your role virtually?
I was uncertain about the technology at first, but have got used to it.
What do you hope for the future with your voluntary role?
I hope I can be as useful as possible, and will continue with my current voluntary work within the Trust for as long as it’s needed and for as long as I can contribute.
In your opinion, what’s the best thing about volunteering with Nottinghamshire Healthcare?
Hoping that what I do may be of some use in a small way. It’s good to continue to be involved in the Trust that I used to work for, before retirement from my last full-time post.
During Volunteer’s Week, we’re sharing our volunteer’s stories about their roles and what they enjoy about volunteering. If you’d like to get involved or volunteer for Nottinghamshire Healthcare, take a look at our current volunteering opportunities.