Back in June we celebrated the great work of our volunteers. Today Samantha Jones from Age Connects Cardiff & the Vale tells us about their celebration event:
As part of National Volunteers’ Week on a very hot Friday in June, volunteers and staff from Age Connects Cardiff and the Vale Cancer Older People and Advocacy project met at Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff.
Volunteers and their partners were invited to come together to join this celebration of volunteers and volunteering. Volunteer Coordinator Samantha Jones, Advocacy Service Manager Sue Campbell and Chairman of Board of Trustees Colin Harvey were also present.
Colin gave a speech about our volunteers’ roles and their contribution to the Cancer Older People and Advocacy project before presenting volunteers Karla Flambert and Jeffrey Horton with their Appreciation Awards.
L-R Samantha Jones Volunteer Coordinator, Karla Flambert Volunteer, Jeff Horton Volunteer, Colin Harvey Chairman of trustees
Volunteer Karla came to volunteering when Cancer Older People and Advocacy was at its beginning stage. She has supported many clients during that time and is now at full capacity seeing seven clients! “So many of the older people I speak to, express the feeling that they still have a young mind, but it is trapped in an old body. I hope I always keep that in mind when chatting etc and treat people with the respect they deserve. Retirement is great, but I am not interested in sitting round all day having coffee or lunching. I think that even as we age, we still need to be needed and appreciated. Personally I can’t think of a better way to achieve that.”
Volunteer Jeff has been busy across Cardiff and the Vale promoting the Cancer Older People and Advocacy project to community groups and helping raise awareness of the support our cancer peer advocacy can give at health events and at hospital information centres. He also provides direct advocacy support to clients.
Following the speeches and photographs we all celebrated with some cake and fizzy (lemon and lime not champers!)
Samantha Jones, Volunteer Coordinator, Age Connects Cardiff & the Vale
Older People Living with Cancer 