Summary
This Volunteers’ Week, we took the opportunity to launch our Volunteer of the Month Award!
This Volunteers’ Week, we took the opportunity to launch our Volunteer of the Month Award! Our first Volunteer of the Month Award was given to two fantastic LA Volunteers – Ian and Sean. They have stepped in to run the LA’s Outreach Hub in Belfast, Northern Ireland, ensuring that local amputees can meet and support each other throughout their limb-loss journey.
Ian says:
“Becoming a member and volunteer for the Limbless Association really helped me to come to terms with who I wanted to be and where I wanted to go after I lost my limb. I spent a lot of time on the internet as I wondered what I was going to do with my life. After meeting the Northern Ireland Network Development Officer, I started attending the Outreach Hub in Belfast. When the opportunity came up to lead the Hub with Sean, I jumped at the chance. Volunteering in the Hub is brilliant – I love to see everyone just talk things out, and the smiles on their faces – they love to see each other. I’m also a Volunteer Visitor, and it means an awful lot to me to be able to speak with someone; it’s great to be able to speak with amputees and answer their questions and help them on their journey. I’m giving back through volunteering.”
Sean says:
“I was quite young when I had my amputation, and it wasn’t until obstacles came up that I reached out to the LA for support. It’s OK to feel self-sufficient, but it’s important to know that there is a support network out there. I built up relationships with key people at the Belfast Hub, sharing stories and experiences with other attendees. It’s great to see how people can move on and move through their rehabilitation journey – there are smiles whenever you go there. I started to lead the Hub with Ian, helping to facilitate that meeting for amputees in our region. The thing that’s surprised me about volunteering is the shared experiences we all have and the importance of sharing those experiences with others. I don’t think that anyone gets through this by themselves.”
Congratulations, Ian and Sean!
