Thanking our volunteers
In light of volunteer’s Week, we wanted to say a huge thank you to all of our volunteers and the amazing work they do each day. To celebrate them, we asked them to share their journeys and experiences with us.
Victoria El Hakim, Volunteer at Ironstone said, “I just wanted to share my amazing experience volunteering at the Ironstone. Katie at Ongo Communities told me about this opportunity, and I jumped at the chance to be a part of it.
“During my time there, I learned so much and gained valuable skills in a healthcare setting. My role involved signposting people to find the right services within the GP practice and keeping them informed about upcoming events.
“It was great working alongside other health professionals like Health Watch and the social prescribing team. After six months of volunteering, I was successful in getting a job at Citizens Advice thanks to the support from the Early Care Coordinator who guided me every step of the way.
“The feedback I received was fantastic, and it really boosted my confidence! Overall, it was an incredible journey that I’ll always cherish.”
Blake Wood, Early Intervention Ironstone Co-ordinator said, “Ongo Communities has been a huge part of the success of our volunteer program at the Ironstone Centre. We have a range of volunteers such as community connectors, digital champions and now volunteers who help with our gardens.
“We have recently had a two-year extension of the project and the team at Ongo Communities had a big part in making that happen. They supplied us with great volunteers who made an impact on our service and project, I look forward to a long and productive partnership.”
Mohammed Mohammed, Volunteer at Tayto, said “Since starting as a volunteer with Tayto, I have found this a rewarding and fulfilling experience and I’m delighted to say I’ve now got a fantastic opportunity with Tayto. I’d like to thank everyone involved from the Ongo Communities Team to the HR/Training Team at Tayto.”
Nicola Stokes, HR Business Partner at Tayto said, “The work experience scheme run by Ongo to help people back into work has proved beneficial to everyone concerned. At Tayto we currently have two people working with us who are enjoying the experience and are carrying out various tasks which we have been finding it difficult to complete for some time. Mo has been working with our Engineering Department and we are delighted to be able to offer him an apprenticeship which begins in September.”
To find out more about volunteering, please visit www.ongo.co.uk/supporting-you/skills-and-personal-development/volunteering-and-work-placements/
