Leo meets CLAN volunteers
Upon arriving at CLAN I was introduced to all the different members of staff and welcomed in a very warm manner. My first meeting was with Fiona (Volunteer Co-ordinator) and Anne-Marie (Volunteer), who talked me through and explained there roles and responsibilities in the workplace.
Fiona is responsible for the recruitment and the training of the volunteers, she manages the drop-in centre and is in charge of the daily running of the support groups/classes. The main job for Fiona is to make sure the whole support system is running smoothly and CLAN’s clients are getting the right support and understanding from her colleagues (the volunteers). I also got the opportunity to interview Anne-Marie, one of the volunteers of CLAN.
Anne-Marie is a Support Volunteer. Her role is all about working closely with people who are affected by cancer and who need someone to speak to. The main job of a volunteer is to give emotional support, empathy and understanding. A moment which really touched me was a quote of Anne-Marie, “I can’t fix anything, but I can help to get it off the client’s chest” throughout the interview, Anne-Marie really helped me to realise that its nothing to do with the volunteer, its all about the people who have been affected by cancer.
CLAN hosts many different activities and groups for the people living with cancer from movie nights to listening and support groups; CLAN has it all. The main message which I gathered from Fiona and Anne-Marie is perfectly summed up by a quote from Fiona when she stated, “The main job of CLAN in my eyes is to give people support at a difficult time in their lives.”
Leo - Placement Student at CLAN
