Today at The People First Conference Centre we had the pleasure of celebrating Anne’s incredible 10-year milestone as a volunteer with People First, as she takes a break to travel.
Anne has brought warmth, dedication, and a wealth of experience to our community. Her commitment over the years has made a lasting impact, and we’re so grateful for everything she’s contributed.
Anne said of her time at People first:
When I was made redundant and took early retirement I was looking for somewhere to volunteer with and came across People First. I had never heard of them at the time and had never worked in any social care related jobs but when they explained that the role of Volunteer Advocate involved befriending people in care homes, I felt touched since my parents had spent the last few years of their lives in care I knew how much having visitors meant to them.
In spite of my lack of expertise People First welcomed me into their organisation and ensured that I was given appropriate training and accompanied experienced advocates on visits before I was allowed out on my own.
The people I visited during my years as a volunteer were really varied, I met some amazing characters, some for only a short while, others who stayed as a client and friend for years. The team at People First were hugely supportive, friendly and caring and never allowed me to get out of my depth, stepping in to take over a client if ever their circumstances became problematic.
Being a volunteer with People First also fit around my family life since I was able to set my own timetable for visits and vary the amount of people I had to see depending on what other commitments I had.
For anyone thinking of volunteering I would say that in People First you would find a rewarding, flexible role in a community of wonderful people. I will certainly miss them all.
We wish her all the very best in her next chapter and hope she enjoys her well-earned time travelling with family!
To find out more about our Advocacy volunteering roles click the link below: