Healthwatch Bromley is a service run by the independent charitable organisation ‘Your Voice in Health & Social Care’ (YVHSC). With a mission to improve the quality and provision of health and social care within the borough and beyond; care service user’s feedback is gathered and presented to leading decision makers such as the NHS, to help action change. And, as Head of Volunteering, Gloria Arhin explained, volunteers are key to the organisation’s success:

“Volunteers play a crucial role in helping to ensure that Healthwatch Bromley and all services under YVHSC can raise the profile of issues that matter when it comes to improving health and social care services. Our range of volunteer roles enable volunteers to build relationships within the community thus helping the organisation to successfully engage and work with diverse communities to obtain feedback on health and social services.”

Healthwatch Bromley is always keen to hear from would-be volunteers with diverse skill sets. Community engagement is a prominent part of the service’s work and as such, volunteers with great communication skills are needed for the vital roles of gathering feedback from patients within GP surgeries and hospitals in the borough. The service also offers a variety of opportunities within marketing, communications, and web support; giving volunteers the chance to develop new skills and experience as part of the team.

As well as being of great benefit to an organisation and wider community, volunteering can also help one's career prospects as Gloria told us:

“Our volunteer opportunities can provide skills development, opportunity for social inclusion and potential routes to employment. A number of current staff members within YVHSC initially joined the organisation as volunteers and are now working within the organisation.” 

Mary Oparacha has been volunteering for the organisation for eight months as an Enter and View Volunteer. Her role involves touring health providing services in the borough and reporting back to Healthwatch Bromley with her findings. She told us why she decided to get involved:

“I had experience working in the care sector before as a carer, and I saw how people were happy to talk to me. So now I want to carry on doing this.”

As Mary explained, volunteering can also be a productive way to spend her free time:

“Anytime I am out of work, I always try to volunteer because it allows others to get to know me better, and I can add the experience on my CV to demonstrate that I was attempting to do something rather than being at home.”As for advice to the would-be volunteer, Mary had this to say: “Just do it, especially if you have no other things to do.”

Gerda Loosemore-Reppen has been volunteering for the organisation for nearly ten years as an Enter and View and Community Engagement volunteer. She has been supporting the Healthwatch staff in different areas, including research projects with interviews and touring health provider facilities in the borough. She told us why she decided to get involved:

"I enjoy volunteering with Healthwatch Bromley,as it allows me to choose when to be involved and give my time to the community. Volunteering with Healthwatch Bromley has been a rewarding experience that I highly recommend to anyone looking to make a difference."