Building skills and confidence through volunteering
Meet Kyle, one of our placement students in the Bright Volunteer Service. He has just completed a six-week placement with us at Blyth Community Hospital.
We met Kyle through Azure Charitable Foundation, which works with people who are disabled or disadvantaged to maximise their quality of life, life chances and personal development.
The charity aims to help people live more independently, access their community, find and maintain employment, and gain valuable skills through training.
With additional support from Northumbria Healthcare’s work experience team, we were able to provide tailored placements in a hospital setting, enabling young people to develop real transferable skills.
Kyle said: “It has been a lovely time. I have learned a lot of new skills while I have been here. It has been an amazing experience.”
Rachel Owers, Bright Volunteer Project Officer, said: “Bright sees real value in volunteering as a route not just to employment, but also to developing interpersonal skills, confidence and self-esteem. We are really keen to build on this partnership and work with other organisations across North Tyneside and Northumberland.”
Blyth Community Hospital was chosen for two reasons. It allowed Bright to explore how the Meet and Greet volunteer role could work on a smaller site, while also providing a supportive environment for young people to build their skills and confidence.
Rachel Currie, Volunteer Organiser at Blyth Community Hospital, said: “It’s wonderful to see the students progress each week. They often arrive feeling shy and lacking confidence in their communication and concentration skills, but within a couple of weeks there is a noticeable improvement. They begin initiating conversations while escorting or directing visitors, proactively approaching people who need assistance, and confidently wishing them well as they leave.
“Every student I have worked with has been enthusiastic, polite, and eager to listen and learn. There are many occasions when visitors go out of their way to come back and thank the students for their help.”
