It’s Volunteers’ Week and we spoke to Julie Clarke, one of our volunteers about her role.
“I decided to volunteer with Forward Leeds, when a very close friend died and I felt I needed another focus.
I’ve experienced mental health issues myself and alcohol issues within my family. Forward Leeds seemed the perfect place to try and help others using my own experiences and also to learn from others.
My role at Forward Leeds involves meeting clients on arrival and chatting to them about their problems. That might be how they are doing with treatment, courses or groups they may want to attend and generally making them feel at ease.
The staff are very friendly and willing to help. I’ve now got a good understanding of drug and alcohol issues through the time I spend with clients and the courses that have been made available to me.
I get the most satisfaction from knowing the clients are comfortable with me and feel they can open up to me. I would definitely recommend volunteering. It gives me a sense of value and understanding and giving something back to others that need help.
I’m really enjoying volunteering as it keeps me motivated and I enjoy helping others.”
For more information about how you can volunteer with Forward Leeds visit our Volunteering webpage.