As part of Volunteers’ Week 2021, the Limbless Association are proud to be celebrating the work of our wonderful team of Volunteer Visitors. Volunteers’ Week is an opportunity for charities across the UK to thank volunteers and celebrate the impact they have on our communities.
Volunteers are vital to the success of the Volunteer Visitor Programme, the Limbless Association’s flagship peer support service.
The VV programme has been operating for over 20 years and its volunteers make a unique contribution to the limb loss community by providing peer support. Our Volunteer Visitors, who are amputees themselves, share their own lived experience with those who have had or are about to have an amputation.
Our trained Volunteer Visitors are experienced amputees who deliver peer support by sharing their experience, knowledge and understanding of limb loss with any amputee who feels they could benefit from support. Visits currently take place by phone or online, with future plans expanding to face-to-face visits in limb fitting centres and hubs.
By volunteering for just a few hours each month, our Volunteer Visitors make an extraordinary impact. As one servicer told us ‘we talked about everything and I was able to look beyond the operation and understand what I needed to put in place to support my own life beyond limb loss. I was still scared and apprehensive but so many of my fears were eased’.
Volunteers bring energy and experience to the LA, as well as lived experience of limb loss. The success of the Volunteer Visitor programme is reliant on the wonderful team of volunteers who provide peer support through taking the time to listen to, support and share practical knowledge with those pre and post-amputation. Here at the LA, we are incredibly proud of the dedicated, friendly team of volunteers.
Could you be a Volunteer Visitor? It’s the little things you know that could make a big difference. If you are over 18, at least two years post-amputation, and are willing to listen to and advise fellow amputees, you could make a positive impact on someone’s life.
Our volunteers come from all walks of life but have a few things in common – they feel emotionally ready to support fellow amputees and can commit at least four hours a month to the programme. If you are empathetic, non-judgemental and can build rapport with people who may be going through a difficult time, we’d love to hear from you.
