Published on: 24th November 2022
Our volunteers are a massive part of our work to help people and our aim to make sure people with lived experience are at the centre of what we do.
One of those who has given their time to help others is 94-year-old Stella, who volunteered at the Meadows in Stockport before a change in health meant she had to give up her official duties.
Stella was referred to occupational therapy in 2002 and has a history of severe anxiety and agoraphobia that spans well over 60 years.
She worked extremely hard with Louise Stratton, occupational therapist on Davenport Ward, on her goals around leaving the house. Her determination stemmed from her wanting to help her family, being able to collect her granddaughter from school was one of her big aims.
As she became more comfortable leaving her home, she started attending an occupational therapy led group. Almost instantly, and despite her own needs, Stella started supporting other members and took a big step by attending other groups in the community.
To help others at the Meadows, Stella would feed back to staff which groups were suitable for patients to attend and would help them settle into the groups when they attended. Louise admired her dedication to helping others and recruited Stella to our volunteer service.
Stella has provided patients with lots of useful information about resources including ring and ride and volunteer drivers and has registered many people herself, enabling them to be more independent. She has also organised trips and holidays and has supported Stockport residents, many who live alone, in attending these.
Her determination to help also saw her take a computer skills course so she could contact people to speak at her groups (she loved that she was the oldest one on the training), write a recovery book, and do public speaking in an anxiety management course at the Meadows – something she was terrified about.
During covid her health changed, and she can no longer go out. But this hasn’t stopped her helping others. She still advises Louise on services that are available for older adults who can’t get out or have physical health issues, offers ideas about activities that might combat loneliness as well as access issues there may be when attending groups.
Stella is proof of the limitless possibilities of volunteering at any age.