Volunteers are an essential resource in helping NHS Lothian achieve our goals. This Volunteers Week we are recognising the unique and valuable contribution that nearly 1,000 volunteers make every day to our patients, carers, visitors and staff across our many sites.
John Kerr, 65 started volunteering with us in October 2019 after reading an article about the NHS in the paper. He said: “It’s often said that volunteering is about ‘giving something back’ and having read the article, I was drawn to exploring the opportunity. As I researched this further, I was attracted to the range of voluntary roles available and what these could offer.”
John has volunteered across a wide range of sites in NHS Lothian including the Western General Hospital, Tollcross Health Centre and one of our COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics and has enjoyed working with a broad range of people. John explained that the most enjoyable thing about volunteering, is the variety of people interacting with both with patients and staff. Thinking of patients as customers and staff as colleagues, provides a unique opportunity to simply serve others.
John said, “The interactions I’ve had have been very rewarding. Given the range of opportunities which I have personally been given in 18 months of voluntary work, I know how fulfilling volunteering can be not just for me, but it can really add value to peoples’ lives, in very simple ways.”
Volunteering has meant John has had so many different experiences than his previous career in business. “Volunteering has taught me to appreciate the diversity of voluntary work available through the NHS, which is a huge organisation.
“My mind has been stretched by working with people in wards, child immunisation clinics, volunteer onboarding initiatives, COVID-19 vaccination clinics, packing and delivering boxes of well-being products and clothing donations.
“The simplest of tasks, such as emptying and replacing clinical waste bags is appreciated and valued. Whilst this diversity has connected me to so many people across society, it has also provided real fulfilment in a very different way from years in a corporate business environment.”
If you’re not sure if volunteering is for you, John encourages you to check out the options: “No matter what your motivation may be, whether it is for work experience or just offering to contribute some of your free time, why not visit the volunteer website or speak to someone who is already volunteering.
“The more you find out, the more you will be able to work out if this could be something for you. I have certainly found my volunteering experience to offer positive challenges, and it has drawn upon my work and life experiences in unexpected ways. I would encourage anyone thinking about volunteering to really embrace the opportunity!”
For more information on the roles available and how to apply check: https://www.nhslothian.scot/GetInvolved/Volunteering/Pages/default.aspx
