Islington Volunteers – Volunteers’ Week 2021
Which organisation do you volunteer with?
Manor Gardens Volunteers at Bingfield Covid Vaccination Clinic
What do you do? Stewarding
How often? Tuesdays and Thursdays
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity?
Voluntary Action Islington
When did you start volunteering?
19th of Jan 2021
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
I was furloughed for most of the year and wanted to put that time to good use. I’d been volunteering sewing PPE, as well as making parcels at a local food bank. A vaccination centre seemed like the next place that I could be most helpful.
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
Everyone who has volunteered has been a dream, I also enjoy how happy people are to go through the exit into the sunshine with their antibodies!
What is it you get from volunteering?
It feels brilliant to go above and beyond for people, as well as to do the little things. I’ve also gained a lot of experience of observing community health care, and was able to draw upon it to gain a place at King’s University to study Midwifery in September.
What are you hoping for the future?
To bump into other volunteers and patients in the real world.
Anything else that you want to say?
My grandad died of complications due to Covid 19 in March 2020, but thanks to a miracle of modern science, it’s now a preventable disease and the rest of my family have been vaccinated because of the efforts of volunteers, the NHS and the legends at Astrazeneca, Pfizer and Moderna.
Name: Daniella Leon
Age: 24
Which organisation do you volunteer with? forum+
What do you do?
I volunteer at forum+ outreach and social events which bring people together and help to reduce social isolation. I organise and host the forum+ International LGBTQ+ Film Club. The club was launched in July 2020 and it’s been a brilliant way for LGBTQ people who love film to come together and be part of a community at our monthly fun, creative and sociable online group.
How often? On a monthly basis for the forum+ International LGBTQ+ Film Club and at other events as they arise.
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity?
I found out about the volunteering opportunities through the Volunteering Fair at my university a few years ago, where I found leaflets on the charity and what they do
When did you start volunteering? Summer 2019
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
I started volunteering to contribute to my community, make a positive impact, and learn more about LGBTQ+ culture through meeting local LGBTQ+ people and hearing their stories.
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
I enjoy volunteering with the wonderful people at forum+ and being able to attend events such as the monthly Union Chapel LGBTQ Drop In, Loudest Whispers Art Exhibition and so much more! The team is friendly and inclusive, as well as flexible, which allows me to balance work with volunteering which has become my passion.
What is it you get from volunteering?
I get to learn more about a big area of interest in my life and meet like-minded individuals
Being a volunteer with forum+ has allowed me to meet so many people who are all united in their hope of building a stronger LGBT community – widening my network and enabling me to learn about others’ experiences.
What are you hoping for the future?
I’m hoping to continue supporting forum+, and when lockdown lifts I look forward to attending events in person once again and reconnecting with other volunteers, the staff at forum+ and the local LGBTQ+ community.
forum+ Volunteer Manager Aoife O’Sullivan said:
The 15 months has been extremely challenging, but it has also showcased the very best of our community. forum+ couldn’t do its work without our wonderful team of volunteers, who are integral to us delivering our services. Volunteers’ Week is a time to say thanks and an opportunity to celebrate the amazing people giving their time and dedication to enable equality.
forum+ Volunteer Daniella Leon has been providing wonderful support to forum+ since June 2019. Daniella organises, hosts and moderates each session of the forum+ International Film Club and joins us at many other outreach and social events. Thank you to Daniella!
Name: Merel Theisen
Age: 28
Which organisation do you volunteer with? The Peel
What do you do?
I volunteer at the weekly code club
How often? Every Wednesday
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity?
I heard about Code Club when I attended an event at the London AI meetup. Then I searched for a local code club and found the Peel.
When did you start volunteering? October 2018
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
I’ve always liked tutoring and helping others. I moved to London to do a postgraduate in Computer Science and thought it would be great if I could teach younger people to code.
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
I really enjoy working with young people and seeing how they learn and grow their coding skills.
What is it you get from volunteering?
I personally get a lot of joy and satisfaction out of helping others and sharing knowledge. I’m also very passionate about technology and think it’s very important for the younger generations to be familiar with software and how to build it.
What are you hoping for in the future?
I really hope that some if not all of the young people attending code club, will continue coding and perhaps one day even get a job in technology.
Name: Luke Howard
Age: 29
Which organisation do you volunteer with? Help on your Doorstep
What do you do?
Vaccine Clinic
How often? Twice weekly for 5 weeks
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity?
Through my professional networks across the borough, I had it shown to me by a partner, as I was trying to find constructive activities due to a decreased workload.
When did you start volunteering? Early January
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
A decreased workload and many from my social circles doing positive work inspiring me to change.
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
I found the mix of positivity from other volunteers, the appreciation and excitement from those coming to get their vaccines and the incredible professionalism of the pharmacists really motivating in a period of life where I found motivation difficult. I also found the return to a structured format where there was communication and a defined role really motivated me on the mornings I volunteered and carried through the rest of my day.
What is it you get from volunteering?
A sense of community and an insight into the incredible work by the local authority during a traumatic period.
Name: Chris Tennant
Age: 61
Which organisation do you volunteer with? Manor Gardens
What do you do? Vaccination centre steward
How often? Twice a week.
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity?
I signed up through the Islington Council volunteering link at the start of the pandemic, but didn’t find a role that seemed to fit until the vaccination programme started.
When did you start volunteering? Early January
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
I originally enrolled just out of a sense that ‘one has to do something’ at a time of crisis. Stewarding at the vaccination centres appealed because it is a concrete role in the national effort – and, frankly, I was curious: how was it going to work?
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
When I started in January I was working a quasi-office job at home in full lock down. Volunteering was a chance to get out and touch the world again. At the vaccination centre, you get all kinds of people – which reminds me of why I love living in London. Plus, you feel part of a team while there.
What is it you get from volunteering?
Besides social contact at a time of ‘isolation’ (see above), it satisfies my curiosity. Different people respond so differently to the whole process. When the European countries paused delivery of the AZ vaccine, for a couple of days lots of people didn’t turn up for their appointments. But fairly soon after the flow was back to normal. A lot has happened within the vaccine rollout over the last 4 months – it’s been interesting being (at least in a minor way) on the frontline.
What are you hoping for in the future?
The NHS has to transition to a more sustainable, non-emergency vaccine delivery programme, especially if there are to be annual boosters. I’m looking forward to seeing how that is achieved.
Name: Huishan Feng
Age: 25
Which organisation do you volunteer with? Help On your Doorstep
What do you do? Vaccination centre steward
How often? I have been volunteering on an almost bi-weekly basis.
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity?
I searched for a variety of different volunteering opportunities online, including on the website of Voluntary Action Islington (www.vai.org.uk).
When did you start volunteering? I started volunteering as a Covid Stewardess at the very start of this year, when the vaccination programs started to roll out.
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
I have been looking for ways to engage and support the community around me since start of the pandemic last year. Seeing how the pandemic has affected people around me made me want to make a tangible, immediate difference more than ever. Having a demanding full-time job, the flexibility of this volunteering position and the impact that I could have on the community was exactly what I was looking for!
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
The people and the sense of community. Volunteering is all about giving! I believe it is everyone’s responsibility to look out for the ones who are most vulnerable around us.
What is it you get from volunteering?
Getting to know people who are passionate about making a difference in the community. Additionally, I am extremely lucky to work for Bloomberg, a company in the technology and financial sector that firmly believes in the importance of community service. My employer not only supports my decision to volunteer but also donates to charities on my behalf according to the number of hours that I put in!
What are you hoping for in the future?
I hope for community service of all types to become more prevalent amongst my generation. We are known as the generation that is constantly looking for purpose and meaning in everything we do. I would hope for volunteering to become a more prominent way to chase that sense of purpose.
Name: Julia Davenport
Age: 69
Which organisation do you volunteer with? Help On your Doorstep
What do you do? Vaccination centre steward
How often? 2/3 times a week
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity?
I got an email from Islington volunteering
When did you start volunteering? 19th Jan 2021
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
I wanted to do what I could to help the local community and to make sure people were vaccinated
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
Feeling useful, a chance to get out of the house and to meet other people
What are you hoping for in the future?
That there is an end to this crisis (even if not an end to COVID) and that life gets back to something approaching normality
Anything else that you want to say?
It’s been great to see how many people are willing to give up their time to help. Also the majority of the people coming to get their vaccinations are grateful and happy to be there so it’s a positive experience all round.
Name: Julia Regan
Age: 60
Which organisation do you volunteer with? Manor Gardens – Hanley and Bingfield vaccination centres
What do you do? Vaccination centre steward
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity?
Through VAI website – the database is a great source of information
When did you start volunteering? September 2020
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
I retired last summer with the intention of having time to volunteer locally. The pandemic has changed the number and nature of volunteering opportunities. I became a volunteer steward at two local health centres as this seemed to be a useful way to contribute to the vaccination programme and had the added benefit of getting me out of the house during the 2021 lockdown as there is only so much painting and decorating that can be done!
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
I have really enjoyed the contact with patients, medics and fellow volunteers. Being able to reassure nervous patients has been rewarding and I have had many interesting conversations about different aspects of the borough – for example I have found out that Hanley Health Centre was an adventure playground many years ago.
What is it you get from volunteering?
The easing of lockdown in April 2021 enabled me to actually go in to a local school and start working with three children. The children have been very positive about our activities so far but I have lots more to learn about the best ways to work with them to increase their confidence in their maths ability.
What are you hoping for in the future?
I hope to continue volunteering in different ways on interesting projects that aim to help local people.
Name: Rajwinder Kaur
Which organisation do you volunteer with? The Stress project
What do you do? Started as a trainee CGT Therapist
How often? 1-2 days a week
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity? Google
When did you start volunteering? November 2018
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
As part of my CBT Training
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
Helping clients to get better and working with like-minded people
What is it you get from volunteering?
I was able to finish my training with success and became a CBT therapist. I worked for the Stress Project as a transition CBT/REBT Therapist and now I have a CBT Therapist job within a private hospital.
What are you hoping for in the future?
I was able to finish my training with success and became a CBT therapist. I worked for the Stress Project as a transition CBT/REBT Therapist and now I have a CBT Therapist job within a private hospital.
Anything else that you want to say
I am very happy that I found such a good place to start volunteering as a trainee CBT therapist and it was a pleasure to work with Carol as my manager who has been really helpful throughout my journey with the stress project. She always encouraged me from the time I took my first client and was easy to approach her for guidance when necessary. I have learned a lot from her which is now really helping with my career.
Name: Joanie Speers
Age: 70
Which organisation do you volunteer with? AgeUK Islington
What do you do? I am a volunteer for the Future Matters programme (helping people put in place their end of life plans).
How often? Every week, times differ depending on what I am doing (giving presentations – now on zoom; running workshops – now on hold; working with clients on their Lasting Powers of Attorney and My Coordinate my Care plans.
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity? I was a member of Voice for Change, a group of Islington residents who had experienced end of life provision in the borough, which discussed and gave opinions and recommendations to the CCG and Islington Council. Each month a senior member of an Islington organisation/charity/provider would give a presentation about their work, and one day Gentle Dusk (who developed the Future Matters programme) came to talk to us. It really appealed to me, so I applied to be trained in July 2015. I have been volunteering for Future Matters (run in partnership with AgeUKIslington) since then.
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
I had to retire 12 years ago to look after my mother full time. When she died in 2012, I really wanted to do something useful with the knowledge and experience I had gained while I was my mother’s carer. I trained with Carers UK in 2013 to deliver listening support to carers, and I joined Voice for Change also in 2013, and then I joined Future Matters.
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
I spent over 20 years working in fine art publishing and then 20 years working in the voluntary sector, so I had a good idea about the role of volunteers (I also sit on several boards, another kind of volunteering). I am constantly overwhelmed by how serious the charities I volunteer for treat us and appreciate what we do. I am learning all the time and meeting wonderful people, and the training I have received from both Future Matters and Carers UK has been of the highest standard. The people who work for these organisations are truly amazing and very skilled.
What is it you get from volunteering?
I feel as though I am doing something useful for people in Islington and beyond. I believe very strongly in the work I am doing. When someone you are working with realises that you are a volunteer they often are so appreciative – it is very humbling. I also enjoy meeting people I would otherwise not know.
What are you hoping for in the future?
I would like to see as many people as possible who are retired and have the time, volunteer for organisations that they feel strongly about, using the skills they learned in their work and life.
Anything else that you want to say
If all the volunteers who help out in this country suddenly stopped working, just imagine what would happen!!
Name: Lucy Purnell
Age: 22
Which organisation do you volunteer with? Islington Mind
What do you do? One to one evening calls with Mind service users and group Zoom call facilitator.
How often? Once per week.
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity? I was looking for volunteering opportunities in mental health and found the website.
When did you start volunteering? October 2019
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
I started volunteering during my Masters’ degree to get some more experience working in mental health. Alongside my placement in the NHS, I wanted to work in a mental health organisation outside of the NHS to see how different services work.
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
I enjoy getting to know service users over time and hear their stories.
What is it you get from volunteering?
It is good to give back to the community. I like to be able to offer support to those who need it and might not be able to access other services.
What are you hoping for in the future?
It is good to give back to the community. I like to be able to offer support to those who need it and might not be able to access other services.
Name: Stuart and Vanessa Brand
Age: 61 (Stuart) 53 (Vanessa)
Which organisation do you volunteer with? Manor Gardens Volunteering.
What do you do? We are stewards at the covid vaccination clinics.
How often? Twice a week, with the occasional additional session if volunteers are needed urgently.
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity? A friend, who volunteers with Age UK, started volunteering at the clinics in December and told us about it.
When did you start volunteering? January 2021
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
We wanted to help with the rollout of the vaccine programme because it seemed important for people to get vaccinated in order to protect the population against the virus and help get back to normality.
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
We enjoy being part of the team rolling out the vaccine. We have been made to feel very valued and the team leaders have kept us informed about what is going on and have sought out, and acted upon, feedback. There is a real ‘can do’ attitude, which is very inspiring. We also like chatting to the patients and trying to make their experience as pleasant and reassuring as possible.
What is it you get from volunteering?
It is very rewarding to be part of such a successful programme and it is nice to feel that we are making a positive contribution to people’s health and wellbeing.
What are you hoping for in the future?
We hope to continue volunteering until we are no longer needed!
Anything else that you want to say?
We have been very impressed with the way in which the NHS has delivered this programme which is in total contrast to the test and trace system and we hope it might help to show that capitalism and greed, as Boris Johnson would have it, do not in fact have the answers in a situation like the pandemic. We have been very impressed with the way in which the NHS has delivered this programme which is in total contrast to the test and trace system and we hope it might help to show that capitalism and greed, as Boris Johnson would have it, do not in fact have the answers in a situation like the pandemic.
Name: Vivi Patterson
Age: 61
Which organisation do you volunteer with? Single Homeless Project (SHP).
What do you do? Fundraising Administrator.
How often? 3 days per week 4 hours per day.
How did you find out about the volunteering opportunity? I was a client of SHP and my key worker told me about the opportunity.
When did you start volunteering? April 2021
What was the reason that you started volunteering?
I wanted to return to the working environment in a managed and valuable way in the third sector.
What is it you enjoy about volunteering?
By using my skills to assist the team in their fundraising efforts I am giving back, but even more, I am regaining confidence in my abilities which is reducing my stress, combating my depression and keeping me mentally stimulated.
What is it you get from volunteering?
I am regaining the confidence in the skills that I had lost during my illness. I am giving back.
What are you hoping for in the future?
Continued success in this role. Completing my open degree with the Open University.
Anything else that you want to say?
After a period of illness, I had lost confidence and become quite isolated. SHP were there to help me during my recovery so when I was offered the opportunity to volunteer with the Fundraising Team I was delighted to accept. By using my skills to assist the team in their fundraising efforts I am giving back, but even more, I am regaining confidence in my abilities which is reducing my stress, combating my depression and keeping me mentally stimulated. I would recommend volunteering to everyone, whatever their circumstances. It works!
