Mike - Carers’ Champion

What is your volunteer role at Farleigh Hospice?

My title is Carers’ Champion. There used to be an ‘Easi-Breathe’ class for patients at Farleigh. Their carers would wait for them in the Lantern suite and my role, with another volunteer, was to sit with them and just have an informal chat. When you’re a carer, no one knows what sort of week you’re having and it can be very hard looking after your husband or wife when they are unwell. They could be feeling down but, by the time they left us, they were laughing, so I found it very rewarding.

That role has now finished and I was asked if I would like to chair a new social group. It’s a similar thing but now I’m talking with both patients and their carers which is good because they are helping and supporting each other.

It's really relaxed and informal - we don’t really talk much about their health problems but more about everyday life and we just have a laugh.

We meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month in the Lantern suite. Last week, they were asking me if this group will carry on because they really enjoy it, so that makes me feel good.

Why do you volunteer here at Farleigh?

I’m retired and I’ve got plenty of spare time so I thought it would be nice if I could volunteer in some way. I decided to contact Broomfield Hospital radio which was very rewarding. The main role for that was going to the different wards and asking the patients what sort of songs they would like to hear. I was enjoying the role but, as I didn’t get home until 10.30 at night, it wasn’t right for me so I was thinking of volunteering in a different way.

Being at Broomfield Hospital, Farleigh Hospice was mentioned a lot to me by the patients, which gave me the idea of trying to volunteer at Farleigh instead.

So, I spoke to Farleigh and had an interview and I’ve been volunteering here five or six years. I can't believe what a lovely place it is.

What training and support are you given to help you in the volunteer role?

I was given training on things like health and safety. If I have any problems with my role, I know that I can talk to someone so I feel supported.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering?

By letting the patients talk and take their minds off of their health problems, I feel that I am helping them in some way which is very rewarding. I’m giving up my time, it’s not costing me anything and I’ve made new friends.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a volunteer?

If you’re retired and got time on your hands, volunteering is a really satisfying thing to do. When people ask me about my role, they are surprised because they think Farleigh is just about end of life, but it does so much more to help people. If you're thinking about it, please contact Farleigh and find out for yourself what it’s like.

For more information about volunteering click here