Meet Debbie.....
Debbie Leyland has been a vital volunteer in the CVS Social Prescribing Team for the last few years. She tells us how she got involved and how the flexibility of volunteering works well for her:
‘Having worked for GPs and within the NHS for many years, I was interested to hear about the CVS Social Prescribing Service when it first started as a pilot project in 2018. When they were looking for a volunteer to help with admin duties for one morning a week I decided to offer my services. I had always done volunteering roles alongside my working life – including being a school governor, then Chair of Governors and serving on various social committees etc – so it seemed a natural progression. Over the next few years of volunteering with Social Prescribing, I enjoyed being part of this team which was making such a difference to people’s lives.
'During the pandemic, I moved to a paid role within the team during the first lockdown in 2020, when the Social Prescribing Team was working intensively to contact all 5,000 'shielded' people in West Lancs.
'A couple of years later, it was all change again when my husband took retirement and my grandchildren came along. Life became much busier but rather than leave the work altogether, I asked if I could become a volunteer again instead.
'I enjoy this volunteer role as it gives me the flexibility I need in life, while still being of use to the team. Getting feedback from Social Prescribing clients on how our work has helped them make major life changes, gives me a great feeling of achievement.'
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