Volunteer Spotlight: Different every day
27th January, 2025
Jackie talks about how each day is different, volunteering at Moorfields at Potters Bar.
I have been a volunteer at Moorfields at Potters Bar for three years. A friend who already volunteered there told me about the role, and it sounded ideal for me.
I’m always busy and enjoying myself – on a typical day I could be doing lots of different things, but one of my duties is handholding so if there’s a lot of demand, I tend to be focused there. Otherwise, I help out generally in the cataract surgery clinic, helping patients complete questionnaire forms, helping them make telephone calls to their family after their appointments, booking cars for them or walking with them to reception to be picked up. I sit and chat with nervous patients, and I have been told by the clinical team that this makes a real difference. If I’m not helping patients, I help the nurses in the recovery room with admin tasks and replenishing the cups and refreshments.
In May 2023 I also arranged a cake sale for Friends of Moorfields’ 60th anniversary. I baked most of the cakes and my fellow volunteer Anne and nurse Filomena also contributed to the homemade stand. Liam, the Friends’ senior volunteer support officer, came with a credit card machine and we managed to collect nearly £200! I hope to arrange another cake sale soon!
I feel more confident helping the patients and staff as my length of service increases. I love the contact with the patients and helping make their experience a good one. Many patients return within a couple of months to have their second cataract operation and specifically ask for me to either handhold in the theatre or support them during the time they are waiting for the operation and in the recovery room. We also sometimes receive kind messages of gratitude from patients after their appointments, which is always so encouraging.
Moorfields at Potters Bar is a lovely place to volunteer. The staff are so grateful and always thank me for the volunteering I do with them. I have a good working relationship with the staff and it’s rewarding to hear from the nurses and surgeons that I make a real difference. Although there is only one volunteer on duty at one time, we all keep in touch, cover each other when someone is away, and meet up every couple of months. I’m never bored and find it’s so rewarding helping patients. My volunteering shift is the highlight of my week!