I started my career as a teacher, but then retrained as a Speech and Language Therapist working primarily with children and young people. I worked with deaf children, young people who stammer as well as within the youth offending services.
I had been retired for a year and was looking for volunteering work. I heard of Headway through my work, but also because one of my relatives had encephalitis and volunteered in another Headway group. I went onto the Headway Luton website to find out about volunteering opportunities. Kim, the volunteer co-ordinator responded quickly to my enquiry and was very encouraging for me to get involved. I now come in once a week.
In a typical day I will meet and greet clients and have a chat, I help with refreshments, as well as get involved in supporting the activities which are led by staff. This may involve one-to-one support for specific clients who might need help with motivation, thinking, writing or understanding. The clients at Headway Luton are very diverse in how their ABI has impacted them. Therefore, volunteer support to assist in group activities is very valued so that no one feels left out or unable to keep up.
Successful communication at any age is about understanding, expressing emotion and having empathy for others. For people who work with those who have communication difficulties, patience, listening and getting to know the individual is of primary importance. Staff at Headway Luton certainly have these qualities. My professional experience and skills in speech and language have been utilised during my role, as I help staff member Maxine with some of the communication exercises as well as taken on some one-to-one sessions myself. I have brought in and shared materials gathered throughout my career to help enhance the sessions further. Knowledge exchange is valued here.
Headway is a very sociable place – clients and staff have a good sense of humour and the atmosphere is fun and informal. It feels like Headway Luton is the client’s space and staff and volunteers are here to support and facilitate, but not dictate.
I would say to anyone considering becoming a volunteer to come and visit to get a feel of the atmosphere. It is also a fairly short day and there is a lot of flexibility in terms of personal arrangements. I feel energised when I get home as I feel I have done something useful and would definitely recommend exploring if volunteering at Headway Luton is the right fit for you.
