Sabina has been volunteering as a clinical call handler since March 2022.
She says:
“I have first-hand experience of the work of Rennie Grove as the Hospice at Home nurses cared for my late husband before he died.
“The care he received was outstanding and I wanted to give something back to the organisation so I started researching voluntary roles. I have worked in office-based, admin roles in the past so I initially enquired about a receptionist role at Gillian King House. That role didn’t quite match up with my availability but I kept in touch with the volunteering team and kept checking the website for new opportunities.
“When I saw the clinical call handler role advertised I thought it would be a good fit for my skills and experience.
“I applied and have been doing the role since March. I volunteer one morning per week, based at the office in Tring.
“I really enjoy the role. The team absolutely makes it for me. Everybody I work with is so friendly and helpful. They make me feel really valued in my role and a part of the team.
“The role involves answering calls from patients and families. I feel like my own experience helps me to empathise with the people I speak to and to understand how they might be feeling. It can, of course, be challenging to speak to people who are experiencing difficult times. I know I have great support from my line manager, should it ever feel too much.
“As well as giving back to the charity, a large part of volunteering was about developing my skills and confidence in the workplace. I have been out of the workplace for a few years and was starting to lack confidence in my skills. It has been a great boost to me to gain new skills and experience such as learning new computer systems.”
“To anybody who is interested in volunteering I’d say ‘give it a go’. My experience shows that you might not even end up in the role you first thought you were interested in but the volunteering team is so good that they’ll work with you to find a role that really fits your skills and interests.”
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