UPDATEAlice was recently nominated for the Lord-Lieutenant's Award for Young People and has received a certificate of commendation for all her brilliant volunteering.
She said: “I knew I'd been nominated but didn't think it would get anywhere. I'm really pleased to have my volunteering recognised." Well done Alice!
Alice Jenkyn, 18, from Quorn, started volunteering when her uncle was a patient on the ward.
“Visiting my uncle at LOROS made me want to go into nursing and I thought volunteering as a ward companion would give me a really good understanding of the environment I’d be in as a nurse.
“I’m studying at Loughborough College on a health and social care course. I have to do 120 hours on a placement as part of my course, so I’ve chosen to do that here so I can help out as much as possible. I’ll continue to volunteer even after my placement ends though. I want to go on to do an apprenticeship in nursing, which will help me become a qualified nurse.
“I really enjoy volunteering here as a ward companion. It sounds weird to say it but I really do. Everyone is so friendly - all the nurses are really nice. All the patients want to have a chat with you and they mostly have a smile on their faces so it’s lovely.
“I would definitely recommend volunteering here. It’s rewarding, very rewarding.
“My role involves supporting the patients and their families. I walk around the ward, see if anyone needs a chat, wants to talk or needs a bit of a break."
Although Alice finds it quite emotional she always feels like she’s achieved something. “I do get a little upset sometimes however I always feel like I’ve done something good. My volunteer manager at LOROS is very supportive and encourages me to talk about how I feel too.
“I really feel like I have an impact on patients. The nurses are busy and whilst they always stop to talk to patients, I can give them lots of time, so they don’t feel like they are bothering the nurses.
“I find the patients are really open and want to have a chat with you, which feels nice as you know you’re not interrupting them. It is a responsible role – to start with I was really nervous and I shadowed others to see how they did it. But the more I did, the more confident I became. And I learnt when not to say anything too. Silence is not bad. You don’t always have to have a conversation. Sometimes sitting there with them is all they need.”
Do you fancy volunteering at LOROS? We are holding a Volunteers Fair on Saturday 26th January, 2-4pm. For more information visit loros.co.uk/volunteer
