Meet Ellie! Ellie was made redundant from her job back in 2012, since then she’s been keeping extremely busy volunteering at numerous local charities including Thurrock CVS.
Ellie explained, “After being made redundant, I just couldn’t stand the idea of being at home and doing nothing, that’s when I became interested in volunteering.”
Ellie’s volunteering journey all began after attending a volunteers’ fair at the Beehive in Grays, which introduced her to her first volunteering role as a general helper, later joining the committee for the MS Society, where she volunteered for 7 years.
Since then, Ellie has continued volunteering over the years with By Your Side (CVS Project) and Age UK, making befriending calls, as well as greeting and helping the public on reception volunteering at the Beehive.
Ellie said “My favourite thing about volunteering is meeting new people and helping them. My current volunteer roles mostly involve befriending calls to vulnerable residents / discharged patients from hospital.
“It’s so touching to hear how appreciative people are to receive your call. People are so thankful to have that connection and offer of help to reassure them. Volunteering has definitely been a rewarding experience, some of my regular befriending calls have even grown to become close friends of mine! ”
Ruby Summers, Project coordinator for By Your Side said: “Ellie is a fantastic volunteer and such an asset to our team! She’s always so kind and friendly with everyone she speaks to. When it comes to wellbeing calls for patients discharged from hospital she’s great at identifying what the person needs, whether it’s a quick check up, or a good old conversation!
“Throughout the pandemic Ellie has continued to support our project by making calls from home to ensure patients have stayed supported during this hard time. I always make sure I tell Ellie how much she’s appreciated – it’s so important to make sure our Volunteers know how much we value them!”