Ten minutes ten questions

Meet Julia’s House Volunteer Dave

HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT JULIA’S HOUSE? I already knew about Julia’s House as an organisation, having worked as a member of the Care team so my decision to volunteer was a simple one. I know every minute I volunteer contributes towards a minute of joy, respite or care for a family or child somewhere across Dorset and Wiltshire.

WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE? I worked for 30 years as a Community Mental Health Nurse. After three years of retirement I joined the Care team at Julia’s House. The work was inspiring, from the nurses and carers to the children and families.

WHY DID YOU VOLUNTEER? Like most people in the country, I spent much of 2020 and early 2021 in lockdown. Lockdown, for all its negatives, provided time to stop, think and reflect. I realised I now have time to spare and how best I should use it.

WHAT’S YOUR ROLE? I volunteer two mornings a week, working at our store in Creekmoor. HAVE YOU VOLUNTEERED BEFORE? I am a new volunteer, so this is my first role and it’s one I chose out of many options.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR ROLE? Where to start? I am working alongside other volunteers, Julia’s House staff and the general public. Every shift is different, my colleagues are friendly, the store is run by a dedicated and caring team and the organisation is the best, in my opinion, for supporting and training its staff and volunteers.

And as for the public I meet – they’re wonderful, caring, funny and generous!

ANY PARTICULAR SPECIAL MEMORIES OR FUNNY MOMENTS? I have so many special memories from my role in the Care team – too many to list here – the privilege of working in the homes of the families we support, the fun of working a hospice day and even witnessing the intensity, emotion and professionalism of our end of life care.

When it comes to volunteering, my clothes folding skills have certainly raised a few smiles!

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST? Meeting people, sharing a laugh with them, seeing the generosity and knowing that every penny, pound and item donated delivers professional, skilled and caring support to children and families across Dorset and Wiltshire.

HOW HAVE YOU GAINED PERSONALLY FROM YOUR VOLUNTEERING? I am meeting new colleagues, making new friendships, learning new skills and my spare time now has purpose and is well-spent.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ANYONE THINKING ABOUT VOLUNTEERING FOR JULIA’S HOUSE? I would say, have a look, find out. There are many roles and you’ll be well supported.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Everything we do in the provision of care at Julia’s House is about treating people equally as individuals, and seeing their potential rather than their limitations. We aim to be fair and kind to our people and to recruit representatively from the local community, playing our part in correcting disadvantage, giving everyone equal opportunity, and ensuring diversity of background, experience and opinion in the charity.

We are committed to challenging our own thinking in how we recruit, addressing barriers to inclusion, being sensitive to differences between people at work and always actively seeking improvement.

Find out more at juliashouse.org/equality-and-diversity