Meet our volunteers

I first became a Healthwatch Volunteer in 2013 after the change over from LINk to Healthwatch. I was drawn to the role as I believe in good health care for everyone and that will only be achieved if we the users of the service explain what good and bad about the service we receive.

I consider myself to be a fully-fledged volunteer with Healthwatch Sunderland and have undertaken all of the necessary training to contribute to Enter and View activities as well and assisting with the facilitation of information stands in the community.

The aspects I really enjoy are getting out and about, meeting people and listening to their views on the services we have here in our city. As a member of the Healthwatch Sunderland Board I am always keen to celebrate the success of Healthwatch Sunderland.

In my spare time I enjoy, bird and wildlife watching in the Sunderland area and holidays with family.

I became involved with Healthwatch Sunderland as a Volunteer Champion back in spring 2016. During this time I have been out and about in the community engaging with members of the public to find out what they thing about the health and social care services on offer in our city.

I have benefitted greatly from the training opportunities I have been offered and I am a fully training Enter and View volunteer. So far have put this to use in several activities across the city in local extra care facilities and GP surgeries. Alongside other volunteers or members of the Engagement Team I have now taken part in countless information stands in local venues, to spread the word of Healthwatch to ensure that more people are aware of who we are and what we do.

I really enjoy conversing with people and have plenty of opportunities to do this in my role here at Healthwatch Sunderland.

In my spare time I enjoy walking and going along to my local gym.

I got involved with Healthwatch Sunderland as a volunteer as in recent years I have been a carer and through this role found the need to access a number of Health and Social Care services. Since then I have taken a keen interest in this area and feel that I would like to give something back through volunteering.

I have been volunteering with Healthwatch Sunderland since February/March 2017. Prior to this I have been volunteering in a variety of roles for approximately 6 years.

So far I have undertaken surveys in GP practices but I am looking forward to participating in the 'enter and view' work and on the information stands.

I have also been involved in both the voluntary and charity sector through being on the Board of Trustees (Treasurer and Chair) for a local charity. Participation on a social committee for an extra care scheme for older people which included organising events (social evenings and fetes) and activities (arts and crafts and exercise) for residents as well as fund raising. A project with Gentoo called 'Over2You' which undertook some similar work to Healthwatch with regards to collecting service users personal experiences. I am still involved with the local charity as part of their finance subcommittee and also as a Governor for an NHS Foundation Trust.

I enjoy working in different environments with a range of different people and learning new skills.

I feel volunteering has benefited me by gaining new experiences and insights and learning through training received.

In my spare time I enjoy Yoga and Pilates and go to regular classes on a weekly basis. I also enjoy swimming, more so in the warmer weather.

As a recently widowed person, who had been a carer for 4 years, I found myself with very little to do. I was recommended by a friend who knew I wanted to give something back to society as I myself had received so much support.

I joined Healthwatch Sunderland as a Volunteer Champion in March 2017 and so far I have been involved in information stands, meetings and training. I enjoy the meetings the most, meeting so many different people with varying views and personal experiences.

Volunteering gives me a purpose. I love chatting to people and feel I am doing something useful. It fills a void left from retiring and then being a carer.

I have a Border Terrier and like to get out walking with him, meeting friends for lunch, going on holiday and having my grandson to stay.

I became a Healthwatch Champion as I was looking for more volunteering opportunities to fill in some of my spare time. I like meeting new people, so after the application and induction process, I started my role here at the beginning of April 2017.

So far I have helped out at information stands in local health centres, where I get to meet a lot of different people and ask them how our Sunderland health and social care services are doing. I have taken part in several training courses which I have particularly enjoyed and included; Equality and Diversity and Safeguarding Adults.

In my leisure time, I enjoy studying all aspects of architecture.

I first found out about Healthwatch Sunderland while I was completing a course for people who are coping with brain injuries, so went along to meet Anna from the Engagement Team to see if being a Healthwatch Champion was for me.

It was, so I started volunteering with Healthwatch Sunderland in February 2017 and so far have taken part in some group activities at the Sunderland and North Durham Royal Society for the Blind, where I facilitated the explanation of the role of Healthwatch in our city and encouraged those present to give their feedback on services. I like meeting new people so hosting information stands at various venues, including health centres and community event gives me lots of opportunities to do this too.

I have taken advantage of the training opportunities which have been available to me since I stared and I am now a fully trained Enter and View volunteer and looking forward to taking part in my first activity.

Since February I feel my confidence has improved, I have new friends and I have been able to use the skills I have, but haven't used for a long time.

I also volunteer for NERAF, which is a local organisation who work with people who feel they may have a problem with alcohol and substance misuse. When I am not volunteering I enjoy looking after my grandchildren and spending time with my extended family.

Read June's story which she presented at the PCP AGM 2018.

I have been a Healthwatch Champion since August 2017.  I was interested in the role as I have always had a passion for health and social care services and their improvement.  I really enjoy engaging with people and getting their views and opinions on services and how they can be improved.

Whilst at Healthwatch I have done a radio advert, undertaken Dementia Friends training, enter and views, manned stalls at public events, engaged with community groups.

In my spare time I get involved in local politics, I also like to educate myself on a variety of subjects, for example last year I qualified as a Spiritual Coach.

Read Craig's story which he presented at the PCP 2018 AGM.

I am fairly new to the organisation having just finished my training to be a Healthwatch Champion.  I found the training thorough and most of all ongoing, so you keep up to date.  So far I have really enjoyed meeting people and hearing their views on the health and social care services which they use.

I got involved as a volunteer for Healthwatch having previously been involved in LINk which was the forerunner to Healthwatch.  I decided to get back in touch to become a volunteer again as I love to help and meet people and it also helps to keep me active and gives me a focus to my days.

So far I have helped to host information stands at community events and took part in various training sessions as part of my induction.  Next I will be helping out with some group work and building upon my knowledge of Healthwatch and its services.

In my spare time I love doing housework, so when I am at home I clean the house most days and I always say that the outside of your home reflects the inside!

I was a member of a multidisciplinary outreach palliative care team for 14 years, completing my Open University degree in public health and neuroscience while I worked. I gave up my job and moved back to Washington to take care of my parents, and to become a full-time Master's student in Research Methods with the medical anthropology department at Durham University.

My first assignment was staffing the Healthwatch stand at the Sunderland Carers Centre summer fair in June 2018 - which was lovely, as I really benefit from their services myself!

As well as staffing information stands, where I've been able to signpost people to the Healthwatch Sunderland Care Home Life register, I have enjoyed meeting groups of people in sheltered accommodation to gather their views over a coffee.

A former volunteer with LINk I joined Healthwatch in 2013 and regard myself as one of the original volunteers.

I come from a teaching, community work and project management background and have undertaken all the training on offer from Healthwatch.  My main interest is Enter and View and I love visiting the care homes to get people's opinions of life there. The Care Home life publication is a really valuable piece of work and I am happy to contribute to it, everyone should read it.

I have also staffed Healthwatch information stands at various venues in the area.  I enjoy talking to and listening to people about their health issues and signposting them to other services in the city.

I am a member of the U3A (University of the Third Age) and get fully involved in their activities.

Since my partner died two years ago my constant companion is my dachsund George and despite his short legs we enjoy long walks together.

I am one of the newest Healthwatch Champions and I joined the volunteer team in February 2019. I had previously assisted Healthwatch staff to undertake a patient survey in my own GP’s surgery in 2018 following a merger and enjoyed the experience so much I decided to become more involved.

Meeting people and capturing their views on local health care services was enjoyable, rewarding and informative and I look forward to a greater involvement as a volunteer with Healthwatch Sunderland.

I have been a member of the Patient Participation Group at my local GP surgery for almost three years and at the last meeting I volunteered to chair the re-established group with support from the practice manager. This is going to be quite a challenge for me but I am looking forward to taking the group forward and enabling our local community to access high quality GP services that meet the needs of people within the area.

My professional background is in Further and Higher Education, although I am now fully retired from salaried work. I have been married to my husband Frank for 35 years and we have two grown up children.

In my spare time I enjoy keeping fit, mainly attending Pilates and aerobics classes, walking in the local coast and countryside with my husband, spending time and socialising with my family and friends and following local football. My football loyalties are split between Sunderland AFC and Spennymoor Town FC (who I have supported since I was a teenager!) I also sing with a community choir based at The Quaker Meeting House.

I am starting my Healthwatch volunteer journey this week with my first ‘assignation’ and I am looking forward to the varied activities and diverse opportunities that arise as a volunteer.

As an ex nurse and now a retired primary school teacher, I’ve always liked talking to people and Healthwatch gives me the opportunity to do that. I joined Healthwatch in 2019 after a Healthwatch volunteer friend suggested that I would enjoy the ‘work’ that she did, and I do, I love it. 

So far I’ve helped host a few information stands, which gave me the opportunity to get the views and opinions of the general public on their local healthcare services. I’ve also, (as a result of being a Healthwatch volunteer), had the opportunity to take part in patient led assessments of local hospitals, a very rewarding experience and a real eye opener to the problems faced in our NHS. 

I’ve recently visited Sheltered Accommodation and thoroughly enjoyed talking and getting the views of the residents on the health care services in the area.

I’m also a member of my GP’s Patient Participation Group and have helped successfully in a bid to get grants to have the surgery building updated, so we can move forward in improving patient care and treatment. As a result we hope to improve appointment and waiting times as we now have space for another GP. It’s good to know that I’m contributing to improve health care services for my local community.

In my spare time I’m a member of the U3A, and participate in a number of activities including Kurling and learning to play the Ukelele, good fun. I also love walking my dogs and I’m in a group which has regular meets for walking and chatting. 

I'm a wife and mother of three wonderful children. I used to work in a primary school as a teaching assistant but due to poor health I had to give up my job and on my good days I found myself with free time.

My Healthwatch journey is still really new. I found the Organization when I had a bad experiences in hospital and I wanted to know if there was anything out there that could be a voice for people.
As soon as I meet up with the engagement team I knew this was exactly the right place for me.

I've struggled with my health for a number of years and I've have some bad experiences with health services but mostly have been first class, so I wanted to give something back.

I began my journey in January this year (2020) and I have to say I absolutely love it. I've attended information stands, a group meeting and a conference. I am starting my enter and view training in a few weeks.  I have to say up to now the information stands are my favourite as I love chatting to people and I'm so happy that people feel comfortable sharing their experiences with me.

The team have been so welcoming and I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone better and I'm especially looking forward to the next stage in my training.

In my spare time I love sewing and doing any craft my imagination will allow.

I am one of the youngest members of Healthwatch Sunderland and I have joined the team recently. For A-Levels, I am currently studying: Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics in the hopes of becoming a doctor in the near future. As well as studying for exams, I also coach swimming to children and tutor kids as well. 

I think that joining the Healthwatch team was a very good decision to make because not only is it a team but a family to me. Coming along to volunteer with the information stand has been a very insightful experience because it showed me the different perspectives and viewpoints of patients’ visits and how their treatment was carried out. This has enhanced my ability to be empathetic to others by listening to what others have to say about their situation and I find this very interesting since different people have different views on their treatment. I have greatly improved my communication skills by being able to talk with others about how their experience with the NHS was. 

I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to help people by taking surveys on the topic of their stays at hospital because I think that this form of opportunity sampling will definitely show what is working well and what areas need some improvements in primary healthcare settings, for example: the NHS in Sunderland. 

I am currently reading Public Health at Sunderland University.  I am passionate about health Improvement and educating the general public about health issues and how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

I joined Healthwatch in 2019 as a volunteer.  So far I have had the opportunity to co host an information stand, chatting to people about who we are and what we do as an organisation, signposting them to services that are available within the NHS and also receiving their views and experiences on services they have used. This was a big eye opener for me as people’s experiences and views varies from person to person.

I have also been at stroke groups with patients, families and carers – a very interactive and informative session on changes and accessing local NHS services to help patients lead an independent life irrespective of their health challenges.

Overall, it has been an interesting and informative experience for me at Healthwatch and I look forward to more engagements.