Sara's volunteering story

As a young person, I volunteered in a variety of roles. But over the years, life got busy and slowly these roles faded away due to a busy work schedule, studying and looking after my three children, including one with complex needs. 

When I began my Social Work degree, there was a part of me that was pleased to hear that in order to progress, I would need to do some volunteering. With this in mind I took my time and did my research trying to discover a volunteering post that I could both fit into my schedule and one that I felt a connection with. I found an advert for a role as a Support Group Organiser with Lymphoma Action.

February 2020 was 13 years since my mum passed away from Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 38. As a teenager at the time, I don’t remember everything, but I do remember the lack of knowledge and support my family were offered. I believe this is why the charity stuck out to me and I felt instantly drawn to the idea of giving others what I so desperately needed at that time in my life.

Sara

I am very new to this voluntary role, but I am trying to learn as much as I can in preparation for my first support group meeting. I have a busy life, but the team at Lymphoma Action has gone above and beyond in helping me; to both make sure I achieve the hours required for my course (three hours a week for three months), as well as recognising and understanding my busy schedule. The patience and kindness they afforded me when overcoming a recent illness has made me even more eager to become part of their team. Because of this I have made the decision to continue volunteering with Lymphoma Action after completing my course requirements.