It’s volunteers week. A time to celebrate the incredible work volunteers do for their communities. Our amazing volunteers support our work in the outreach centres and in the Calman Centre. With help from volunteers we offer complementary therapy, counselling, stress management and podiatry for people affected by cancer, at not cost to them.
To celebrate the difference volunteers make we asked our volunteers three questions about volunteering.
Karen Watson, volunteer complementary therapist, located in our outreach centre replied:
Why you Volunteered?
“I volunteered because the diagnosis of cancer changes how an individual is perceived, for so many the illness defines how others see them. They become the illness and the person is forgotten or put to the background. Touch becomes treatment rather than pleasure and so my work as a complementary therapist allows me to remind them that touch given in a non clinical way can be healing physically, emotionally and psychologically, it’s a holistic approach.”
What do you get from volunteering with Cancer Support Scotland?
“I get gratification, there are not many jobs where you can see the difference you’ve made almost instantly, I don’t think anyone has ever left after receiving a therapy feeling worse that when they walked in. I get to see people forget for a moment (often much longer) their symptoms, they just relax, most clients leave the therapy room smiling and that makes my day. Who wouldn’t like a job where you can make someone happy.”
Why should you volunteer?
“If I was to say to others why I thought they should volunteer I’d say – I thought I was volunteering to help others and learned that that by doing a good job the greatest reward is the side effect of feeling good about myself.”
We are looking for volunteer counsellors and complementary therapists. If you would like to join us email volunteer@cancersupportscotland.org