Paul Irish, 67, from St Albans, has been volunteering with Supporting Hands since he retired in 2020. He says: “After my retirement I knew I wanted to get involved with volunteering but I didn’t know what. Then I heard about Supporting Hands programme and it really appealed.”
One of the patients Paul supported was Stephen from Hemel Hempstead, Stephen had been very isolated from the lockdowns in during COVID and was a virtual recluse.“Before Supporting Hands got involved Stephen had reached a dead end. He couldn’t see a way out and had no confidence.”
Paul’s focus was to get Stephen out and about; taking him shopping, for walks, hospital appointments and the occasional trip to the pub. “It took time to build a friendship but with Paul’s help, Stephen started to get his mojo back and sense of humour started to come through.”
The relationship is not a one-way street, Paul comment about volunteering was “The visits have given me purpose as well. It keeps me busy and is beneficial for my mental health. If you have the time to volunteer, you could make a real difference to somebody’s life.”
Where to next?
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