Susannah recently joined our Community Engagement team – we spoke to her about her role and what it entails…
How would you describe your role?
“My role as Community Engagement Co-Ordinator is all about raising awareness of the Hospice’s many services – including developing relationships with external groups, collaborating in community initiatives and extending our Compassionate Communities Service – so we can reach more people and make sure they know how we can help them.”
How have your first two months been?
“It’s been such an exciting whirlwind of activity – I’ve really enjoyed it! It’s a privilege to work for such a value-led organisation and to know that the merger will help us to extend our services to even more people. I’ve already heard lots of feedback from our communities about the incredible difference we have made to them and their family during difficult times, and it’s been so inspiring to hear from some of our amazing volunteers the reasons that they have got involved with us and to see the tireless work they put in to support us.”
Which groups/organisations have you met?
“So many – it’s great to find out how much is out there where we can connect and work in partnership to achieve more together. To mention just a few…Watford Football Club’s Community Sports & Education Trust, Three Rivers District Council’s Healthy Hub team, Oxhey Ladies’ Club, the Community Learning Partnership, Community Action Dacorum, Communities 1st in Borehamwood and many more! I also attended the Amersham and Villages Health & Wellbeing Event, a great way to get to know local charities and groups in that area, and I’ve visited two of our Compassionate Cafes and one of our Compassionate Support Hubs.”
Why is it so important to make connections with our local community?
“Strong connections can help us understand what the barriers may be to people accessing our services so that we can provide more accessible and inclusive support. In addition, raising awareness of our services helps us to recruit more volunteers and also increases the reach of our fund-raising activities. Both Rennie Grove and the Peace were born from the community for the community, and building on this legacy is something I want to help take forward for the future, so that we can ensure that more people live well towards the end of their life.”
What plans do you have over the coming months?
“To get to know more about the local groups and partners, and to work closely with the other teams in the hospice so we can ensure the voice of our community helps to shape our services and enables us to reach more people and achieve our vision.”
Join a team that makes a difference – check out our vacancies.