Publish date: 16 August 2021
We're dedicating the month of August to all of our amazing volunteers, without whom we wouldn't be able to do half as much as we do for our patients. We'll be interviewing them and posting their answers here.
Next up is Pam Pollard. She has been a WHH Charity volunteer for three years.
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Q: How did you become a WHH Charity volunteer?
A: Well, I had never volunteered before as I always worked and was raising three kids on my own, so I didn’t really have much time for it. But I decided I had to find something to do after retiring and having taken care of my mother full-time for a couple of years, so I thought why not volunteer? I also figured maybe I could use my sign language skills if I volunteered at the hospital.
Q: What do you enjoy about your role?
A: The work is really varied; I’ve been able to do things that I never thought I’d have the chance to do, such as the Dragon Boat race and the Abseil. There are all sorts of different things you can do – you can visit people who are lonely, do courtesy calling, bag packing, office admin and now working in the dementia garden – anything really.
Q: What positive impact has volunteering had on you personally?
A: Becoming a volunteer has been really good for me, actually. It has made me get out and make new friends, which I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to do. Also, when you live on your own, you sort of lose the ability to talk to people, so it’s been great for that too - and as you can see I talk quite a lot now!
Q: Why are volunteers so important?
A: Well in the case of the hospital, you don’t quite realise just how much the NHS is unable to pay for, so the extra bits that the charity provides really does make a huge difference… and the charity needs volunteers to be able to raise the funds to do that.
Q: Do you have any memorable moments from your time as a volunteer?
A: I was actually a runner-up for the Volunteer of the Year award at the hospital’s annual Thank You Awards last year, which was really lovely. Being involved with the Forget Me Not dementia garden when it won an RHS award and being at the awards and the WHH Charity winning the award from the Warrington Guardian! Brilliant!
Q: What would you say to someone who has considered volunteering but never actually taken the plunge?
A: Just go for it. You don’t need to be an extrovert or be qualified in certain areas because you can tailor the job to your skills and still be of great assistance. You also don’t need to commit to several hours per week – you can just give your time as and when you are able, so I would definitely say go for it no matter what age you are. Come and see what a difference the charity makes for the hospital!
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Would you like to join Pam and start making a difference? If so, you can find out more HERE.
Or just send us an email at whh
