Thursday 5 June 2025
Not all of our volunteering roles are onsite. Maureen who is retired and lives in North Yorkshire, is one of our home-based volunteers.
“I have been a volunteer for three years and love it. Why and how did I become a volunteer, well here we go…
“When I first retired, the last thing I wanted to do was anything that involved going to the same place at the same time Mondays to Fridays. I said ‘no part time job, no volunteering’, I wanted to do what I wanted, when I wanted.
The missing piece
“Then after a while I felt something was missing. I realised it was meeting new people and having new experiences. I do have friends, I am happy to say, plus a husband and we like holidaying, but I missed making new friends and meeting or speaking with a wider selection of the public.
“I have always worked in extremely busy jobs which were all people oriented – HR, education, occupational health etc.
“However, due to a sight problem which curtails my independence and prevents me from driving. I didn’t want a part time job and volunteering would mean buses so too restrictive. So, I was stumped and a little frustrated – but I now have the best of both worlds.
Check and chat
“One day I saw a leaflet asking for volunteers, from Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) for check and chat. That was it, I applied and after going through the processes I started.
“I never have more than two people I check in with weekly for the Trust. These are not the same as I started out with, as people eventually are discharged.
“Then in 2024, I received an email from TEWV asking for volunteers to phone different carers every six months to complete a questionnaire over the phone, and another asking for volunteers to phone patients daily about their transport by volunteer drivers from the Trust, taking them to their appointments – and I’ve never looked back!
‘I have been so lucky to work for this Trust’
“I love the contact with different people, getting to know some of the regulars and the challenges. Plus, I love working with the voluntary services team – Karen, Caroline and Kelly and more recently with Kim – they can vouch that I can talk for England.
I get so much pleasure being a volunteer. When they thank me for calling or ask ‘you will call me next week won’t you?’, plus, the confidences they share, it makes me feel very privileged and humbled to be part of their life for however long I’m needed.
“To anyone who is thinking of volunteering, I would say please do it – you won’t regret it. I certainly don’t. Plus, you make great friends and the team I work for is brilliant. Also, as a newbie to volunteering, I have been so lucky to work for this Trust and would encourage anyone to bite the bullet and apply.”
Find out more about volunteering
