Why our wonderful volunteers are involved with Healthwatch 

For Volunteers' Week, we want to celebrate  the different ways being a Healthwatch volunteer can help your community and develop your skillset. From using your own experiences to help shape people's lives to learning a new skill and championing diversity. 

Meet Francis – Healthwatch Leeds 

Francis has been volunteering for Healthwatch Leeds for the past five years. He was an overseas student when he started volunteering and wanted to contribute to the city he had just moved to. Volunteering helped Francis develop his personal networks and learn from others.

He is currently a PHD student and wanted to be involved in the Leeds health and care system. "In my role as a researcher I can see the connection between having conversations with the public, patients and service users and how this makes a difference and how it has a meaningful impact on helping organisations like Healthwatch to help improve the quality of health and care in Leeds."

He has been involved in a lot of important work done by Healthwatch Leeds, including investigating GP registration experiences of the homeless, refugees and asylum seekers which many found a difficult process.

"Volunteering with Healthwatch Leeds remains one of the most fulfilling things I do."

Meet Wendy – Healthwatch Somerset  

Wendy is a volunteer for Healthwatch Somerset. She plays a vital role in helping people have their say on health and social care in Somerset. She is also on the Readers’ Panel, helping to improve public information about services by reviewing documents produced by health and social agencies.

Wendy fits volunteering around her caring role. She was invited to talk to Somerset Council social workers and social care staff about her caring responsibilities, how she has navigated the health and social care system for her mum and the things that could help in her role as a carer. Wendy said, “I hope telling my experience may help shape services in the future.”

Meet Katie – Healthwatch Blackpool  

Katie joined Healthwatch Blackpool as she was enrolled at college and needed a placement, she heard about Healthwatch at an A2A event and really wanted to be part of it. "Healthwatch has been really welcoming and the way they communicate with me is really good. If I didn’t have that communication with the team, I wouldn’t have got as involved with the project."

When asked what her experience has been working in a care home with Healthwatch, Katie said, "It has helped boost my confidence with meeting new people as I have social anxiety. The way Healthwatch and the care home have helped me to feel comfortable quite quickly in my role has been amazing. It was helpful to have Healthwatch there in the first meeting with the home as a familiar face to make me feel more comfortable. It also helps me to practise and build communication skills and I find it really rewarding to give back to the community, especially those who are more isolated and don’t have visitors."

Meet Gina – Healthwatch Leeds 

Gina has volunteered with Youthwatch and Healthwatch Leeds for over four and a half years, starting her volunteering journey after graduating from a Psychology degree. Gina was keen to gain some voluntary experience, particularly in the area of mental health to compliment her degree.

When asked about what skills Gina has gained through her work, she stated, ". I gained a lot through doing the volunteer training, especially from the equality and diversity and adult safeguarding training. This is useful if you want to go and work in the health and care sector in Leeds. Values are covered in the training, and this is especially helpful in my current job."

Gina now works full-time; however, she intends to continue volunteering as long as she's able to. "I will always try to fit something in when I can to keep connected with the organisation as I enjoy volunteering."