This episode discusses the impactful role of volunteers at East Anglian Children's Hospice, highlighting the experiences of volunteer Julia, and a family she has supported with her gardening skills. It emphasises the training and support that volunteers received, and that you don't need to be Monty Don to make a real difference to families.

Find out more about EACH www.each.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering/

Visit the Volunteering Discovery page https://improvinglivesnw.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering/volunteering-discovery-podcast/

Get in touch:  jules.alderson@nhs.net

Volunteering Discovery is a Hospital Radio Norwich production for Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System.

Sarah (host): Hello and welcome to Volunteering Discovery.

This is a podcast which takes you behind the scenes of volunteering in health

and social care in Norfolk and Waveney.

Volunteers enhance the experience of people accessing health and social

care in a huge variety of ways.

In our hospitals, our communities, and even from the comfort of their own homes.

In each podcast, we'll be hearing from those who give their

time supporting others and the people who work alongside them.

I'm your host, Sarah, a volunteer coordinator working in the NHS.

There are nearly 9, 000 children with life limiting conditions

in the east of England.

The children and their families need specialist provision, and

a local organisation called East Anglian Children's Hospice, or

EACH, provide much needed advice and support to the families involved.

In today's episode, we'll be talking to some of the team at EACH to find out

about the role that volunteers play, offering support to local families.

We start our conversation meeting Anne, who tells us about the hospice and the

activities volunteers can get involved in.

My name is Anne Rayner, and I am the volunteer coordinator for East

Anglian Children's Hospices here at the Nook in, just outside Norwich in Norfolk.

East Anglian Children's Hospices are a set up of three hospices, one here in

Norfolk, one in Ipswich in Suffolk, and the other in Milton in Cambridgeshire,

and they were, um, Set up first hospice was Milton, which was opened in 1989

as a direct result, really, of the actions of a nurse who recognized that

for children with life limiting or life threatening illnesses, maybe hospitals

weren't the ideal place for them to.

Fully access all the services that they needed, so that's where it

started for each with the first hospice there in Milton and the

other two followed quite quickly.

The original one in Norfolk was in Quidenham and that opened in 1998

and that was quickly followed by our hospice in Ipswich which was 1999.

So EACH is a children's hospice.

Predominantly, we are here to help children with life limiting

or life threatening illnesses.

But what I would say is that EACH has a very holistic approach.

We are here to help the whole family, and that includes the extended family.

Having a, um, child with additional needs, or a, an, an illness, the ripple

effect goes out throughout the whole family, so each is here to support the

whole family, in whatever way that is, be it through accessing counselling,

various therapies, art therapy, music therapy, um, play, specialists.

It's really to look after the whole family.

I look after a scheme called Help at Home.

It's a relatively small scheme within the service.

What it aims to do is provide practical support for families in their homes.

You know, life is busy for all of us, but when you have lots of additional

things to deal with, sometimes lots of hospital appointments, all sorts of

extra things on top of normal, family, busy, everyday life, it can be easy for

things, like for example, like the garden, to just become overwhelming to sort of

deal with on top of everything else.

It's a scheme completely aimed at providing practical support in the home,

and that can be as a regular support.

So some of the volunteers we have will visit families weekly

to help them just with cleaning, general household tasks, gardening.

Dog walking, things like that.

Or we also have some people who will be happy to help with what we call one off

tasks and they can be something bigger, such as if the garden has really got

out of hand, for example, you know, a few people could go in and sort of do

a garden clearance or just in the rung up to spring to make sure the garden

is neat and tidy, sort of ready for everything to start growing again.

Or tasks like decorating, helping to move home, that sort of thing, so

a few volunteers might get together and help with something like that.

I would say that volunteers get a lot out of this role and it can

be something that they like doing.

So if they particularly like gardening, it's hopefully

something that they enjoy as well.

Sarah (host): One of the volunteers who enjoys gardening is Julia.

We asked her how she got involved with each and what she does as a volunteer.

My name is Julia Dalton and I volunteer in the Help at Home

scheme, doing gardening with families.

I was looking for a part time gardening job once I'd retired and I came

across this ad for The nook for a gardener here and took it from there.

I've thought that would be a good opportunity to give back and I

like the idea of helping a family.

That was my, sort of my second career really, I was a gardener

and then I recently retired.

I wanted to carry on working outside.

There was a group of us, I think it was probably, there were about

six of us, I think, who signed up.

Monthly training courses, support, talking about all the ups and

downs, what we could expect.

Yeah, it was very good, very good.

Sarah (host): For Anne, it is really important that

each provide robust training.

This means that volunteers like Julia can get started with confidence.

You know, we're, we're quite aware it's a, um, it's quite a specific role.

I feel we do offer training.

Quite a lot of preparation and support for our volunteers before

they even think about starting.

They're invited to come in here to the hospice to have a chat or if the

location isn't convenient for them, I can speak to them via teams or zoom because

obviously we do cover the whole county.

So it's quite, you know, wide reaching.

They come into the hospice for a chat so they can learn a bit

more about each and the role.

We can learn a bit more about them and, you know, it's a mutual thing.

Do we think it would be a good fit and do they think it's something that

they might enjoy and find worthwhile?

If we're both happy at that point, then we invite them to

come in for sort of two days of induction and we really go through.

Lots of topics that are crucial, like sort of some health and safety

issues which have to be covered.

I know everyone when you mention health and safety, but you know, we have a

duty of care to the volunteers as well.

So yeah, we go through quite a lot within that two days and that's really just to

make sure That they feel fully prepared when they're going into a family's

home so that they feel comfortable.

It may be that some of the families have a lot of equipment in their home,

so some might have alarmed support.

Like feeding and that sort of thing.

So it's just really so the volunteer is absolutely prepared when they go into

the home to do what they're there to do.

And we always say to both volunteers and families, in my experience,

both parties feel a little bit nervous before they meet.

And I think that's completely normal because from the family's point

of view, they're coming to have volunteer come into their home.

And likewise, from the volunteer's point of view, it's normal to

feel, oh, you know, are we going to get along, that sort of thing.

So that's completely normal, but we normally find any awkwardness that

there may be within two or three visits, it's gone and it works well.

Sarah (host): After her training, Julia was matched with a family to offer

support by sharing her gardening skills.

We spoke to a member of that family on the phone about their involvement with

each and the help that Julia gives.

My name's Louise, and I found each through, um, the oncology department

at the Norwich and Norfolk Hospital, where my son is in treatment, um,

currently, um, and has been for about three and a half years for leukaemia, ALL.

I think actually a friend of the store, um, had a child who had a similar

sort of thing, and they'd found a great help from the volunteer scheme.

So, yeah, I just decided to look it up and went from there, really.

Thanks Yeah, we had initially a lady come around and chat to us

about things that could, we could potentially have, um, support with.

So I think some of the things were like internal painting and the garden.

So we were matched with Julia, who was a retired gardener.

Um, she actually did that as her profession and, um, she was now

volunteering for each at the Nook.

And, um, yes, so she's been coming and helping maintain.

My garden really.

It's quite a mature garden.

It gets a bit wild and yeah it's just been nice to have that kind

of something taken off my mind.

So we just discussed all the areas that potentially would be really

helpful, um, to have support with.

Then, uh, I think from there, I was then allocated, they kind of looked at what

volunteers you had available, my needs, and then they matched us with Julia for

the garden, then before, I think we had an initial meeting before she started

to, Get to know each other and say hello.

Yeah, what we kind of potentially needed doing.

And then Julia started.

Came on a weekly basis.

And started the work.

So it was really, really straightforward.

Really easy.

Yeah, worked really well.

Sarah (host): As Anne described, it might not always feel easy to have an

unfamiliar person in your home or garden.

Especially when you're experiencing such challenging health issues.

Yeah,

I suppose you just wonder who it's going to be and, um, obviously

things like, you know, are they going to be left alone in your house or, um,

and those kind of the safety side of things, I suppose, may have been something

that I, I thought about initially.

But you do kind of build up a relationship with the, with the

volunteer, as you see them on a regular basis, and actually, it's really nice.

So support in other ways as well, and just having a chat with them, and getting to

know them, and yeah, it's really nice to have that additional person, um, around.

So, um, so yeah, they would probably be my main, um, Um, concerns are just

that they were sort of, um, whether it's not DBS checked, but you know, I mean,

like they, they've been checked out and they're, they're the right person for the

job and also that they have, they are able to carry out the job to a decent level.

And the level of skill would have been another thing I probably

would have, um, asked about.

I mean, with Julia, that she's, that has been her job for a lot of her life, so

that was, um, definitely, and also the meeting, the pre meeting to starting

the work, and, um, yeah, and the fact that I think she was very, very, um,

You know, wanted a lot of feed, not feedback, but wanted to ask me what I

wanted done, didn't just go and sort of start chopping things down or, um,

without, without consulting me first.

So it was very much a partnership, a collaboration, I suppose, um, and

not just, you know, doing whatever she felt like she wanted to do.

Sarah (host): Now that Julia is established as a volunteer with Louise,

we asked Julia to describe what she does each week during a volunteering session.

I usually do between two and four hours a week.

I would just go to the garden.

Sometimes I would see the family.

Other times I just Get on with little weeding jobs here and there,

and it's mainly maintaining the space for the family, really.

We usually talk about what they would like, and usually they're

just happy for you to do anything.

I always thought, well, I'll do the weeding, because then they're

looking out the window, and they're not looking at things that they can't

do, so it's mainly that, really.

For the families, I think you're taking You're taking that pressure off.

It's a, particularly in the garden, that's probably a job that goes

to the bottom of the list and oh, I'll always get round to it.

And their lives are so busy and stressful.

So I think it does take the pressure off them.

And for me, I just like being outside.

I really enjoy that.

So mostly it is, I would say, speaking to other people that don't.

It's maintaining, weeding, tidying, that sort of thing, really.

And maybe a bit of pruning.

But nobody expects you to be Monty Don, so that's quite good.

Sarah (host): Although Julia is not expected to be Monty Don, Louise

told us about the support that Julia does offer in the garden.

She's focused on different areas really throughout the time

she's been here, which I think has been an excellent thing.

Six months or so now.

So she's taken on different areas.

She always asks me if there's anything specific that I want doing.

But to be honest, I've been fairly flexible and just sort of let her crack

on with what she feels needs doing.

She knows best really as, as um, she's done that for her job.

So yeah, she's kind of focused on, I've got an area now that's cornered

off because I've Got an Airbnb kind of space down the end of the garden,

so she focused on that, that area, and then she's cleared a lot of,

sort of, near patio and seating area.

She's cleared a lot of the borders there.

Yeah, just generally tidy everything up, just general day to day sort

of maintenance things that I've struggled to keep on top of when

you're busy caring for your child.

We had a few chats and, uh, she's a really nice lady, we got on very well.

She did dig me a grave for one of my cats.

which I still haven't got my cat out of the freezer from the vet.

So, so yeah, that's been there a few months now and I do apologize

to her if she's listening to this.

She did do that.

It's a back breaking work, bless her.

And um, yes, we still haven't put the cat to rest.

So I must get that done.

But yeah, that was a big help because that was, that was something that

I was dreading and putting off.

So Julia got the job done, which I'm very thankful for.

Sarah (host): Louise and Anne spoke about the difference that volunteers like Julia

make for the families that they support.

Actually, a really positive outcome from Julia coming around is

actually I was talking to my auntie about the whole volunteering system.

She's actually been coming around with me to help me paint.

So we've painted together, we've painted a room at a time and we've

almost painted the whole house.

And she actually wants to look at volunteering for each and

doing something for other people.

And now she's actually had a chat with Julia when she was here.

And wants to know more about doing that.

So actually the ripple effect of having a volunteer here is actually it's It

spurred me on, and with the help of my auntie, which I wouldn't have been

able to do without, um, to get the inside of the house a bit more in order.

And then, yeah, moving forward to add another volunteer to the mix.

So yeah, it's had a really positive outcome for our family, really.

I mean, I know what a difference it makes because of

feedback, um, I've had from families.

When, if it's all working well, volunteers stay with families

for a maximum of one year.

And then that particular arrangement will come to an end and if the volunteer

wants to continue, they can then support another family and if the family would

like another volunteer, if we have one, we can try and arrange that,

but it comes to an end after a year.

And I would speak to both family and.

Volunteer after a year, see how it's gone, get any feedback, anything

we can do to improve the service.

So I know through the feedback that I've received at some of those end

of agreements, how valued it is and what a difference it makes.

We recently had a.

sunken set of paving slabs in the approach to someone's front door and

their child had very limited sight.

And so they were constantly concerned about the child tripping because the

sinkage was sort of quite significant.

So, you know, it was a constant worry for them.

One of our amazing volunteers who comes from a construction

background, Thankfully, went out, just did the most fantastic job.

He was such a perfectionist, you know, lifted the whole line of slabs,

relayed the sand and cement mix, was there with his spirit level, making

sure it was absolutely perfect.

And in fact, he was such a perfectionist that as he went along lifting one line

of slabs, it impacted slightly on the The next line behind it, and he was

absolutely determined that that was going to be perfect for the volunteer.

That was sort of three hours out of an afternoon, which he

actually thoroughly enjoyed.

But for that family, it meant it was a daily worry for them.

It meant an enormous amount.

So just a one off like that is it's very, very worthwhile.

It's always talked about, you know, what do volunteers get back from volunteering?

There's so many volunteering roles out there and, and it's

often talked about that they get their own well being improves.

They feel like, I know it can sound like a bit of a cliche, but this,

this sort of saying of they feel like they're giving something back.

But it's so, it's so true.

It is very rewarding.

And I think with this role, you really get to see that direct impact

of the difference you're making.

You've been to a family's home and you can literally see

what a difference you've made.

So yeah, it's great.

I mean, it isn't a service that has been going for a massive amount of time.

It started in 2016, I think.

But I know it's a, there are similar schemes running through other hospices

throughout the country and I know there's other, other charities that

provide sort of similar schemes.

I think the impact would be huge.

Even if the family only get the support of that volunteer for one year.

It's not only the difference that they see in their home or in their garden.

Some of the feedback I get is, Oh, well, the volunteer comes and she

does a couple of hours of gardening, and then we have a cup of tea and

a quick chat before she goes home.

And, you know, it can be quite isolating, um, for families.

Having that chat, Can mean a lot.

It can almost mean as much as having a garden nice and it's the

reliability of the volunteer going.

They know they don't have to explain anything to the volunteer.

The volunteer just turns up, does a great job, leaves.

And yeah, I think the impact if we didn't have the scheme.

I think it would be really missed.

I know from the amount of families that say they'd be

interested in having a volunteer.

Unfortunately, the number of families interested in the service outweighs

the number of volunteers I have.

So, you know, I know from the interest in it, how needed it is.

We loved hearing

Sarah (host): about the impact that volunteers with the Each Help at Home

scheme make, and the variety of activities that volunteers can get involved with.

We wrapped up our conversations with Julia, Anne and Louise by asking them to

share their advice for someone who might be thinking about volunteering with Each.

Just to do it, really.

Not that it makes you really But it does make you feel good.

You just have to commit to a little time each week.

It's not a big chunk of your life.

And it's great to give back, really, I think.

Just come and join.

Join the fun.

There's great support from the volunteer coordinator and the training.

And when we get together as volunteers, volunteers and that's a good peer support.

Each is an amazing organization to support.

There is a wealth of volunteering roles available at each.

We're across three counties.

I'd love to have more volunteers for help at home, but if you don't

feel that's for you, we have retail volunteers, wellbeing, driving.

Obviously fundraising and events, there is a role here for you at each,

whatever you would like to do, I feel sure of that, but yeah, if anyone

thinks help at home might be for them, then I'd love them to get in touch.

I'd just say, I would just bite the bullet and give it a go, I think.

Yeah, I think it's, I would imagine it's rewarding on both ends.

It's something that I think I would definitely look into in the future,

you know, in a few years time when everything's settled down with us and

things are a bit more back to normality.

Like I say, my auntie is now wanting to volunteer and I think it's just

helping others is really rewarding and I think you build up a bit of

a relationship with the volunteer and it's, it's support on both ends.

different levels as well as the physical and, you know, the gardening.

There's also that just having someone there that sometimes

you can have a chat to.

It's the emotional support as well.

So, so yeah, I think give it a go.

I don't think you will look back.

Sarah (host): Thank you for listening to today's episode of Volunteering Discovery.

A big thank you to Anne, Julia and Louise for sharing their experiences.

If you are interested in discovering more about East Anglian Children

Hospice or becoming a volunteer there, please check out their website on www.

each.

org.

uk Please don't forget to subscribe, rate and review this podcast.

It all helps people find us and spread the word about volunteering.

This podcast was produced for the Norfolk Waverley Integrated Care

System by Hospital Radio Norwich.

Hosted by Sarah Briggs.

Producer was Jules Auderson.

Original music composed and performed by Philip Aldred.

Interviews by Sarah Briggs and Jules Alderson.