UON’s helping hands during a crisis

From delivering groceries to people in need and coordinating efforts that are supporting vulnerable people’s wellbeing, the University community has been busy volunteering during lockdown.

Today (Monday 2 June) marks the start of Volunteers’ Week 2020. Although the fallout from the pandemic has curtailed any physical events, the nation will be celebrating the work of the army of people who give their free time to help others.

One of those is Library and Learning Service’s Environment Assistant John Chilton. John (pictured above) signed up to support homeless charity Hope Centre last year, but has not let lockdown stop this.

He has spent two mornings each week during the pandemic delivering food parcels to people living in food poverty in Northampton.

He said: “It’s been a real privilege to do this and is a win-win solution for getting through some tough times. Firstly, I’m helping others who are in the most need. Secondly – something I’ve really enjoyed – I’m getting out of the house to talk with people, albeit from a safe social distance!

“The deliveries I’ve been making can be the difference for some people between eating for the week and going without. Some are single, perhaps old and feeling lonely and look forward to the delivery as I may be the only person they speak to all week.

“I’ve had some really lovely comments from people and I always stop for a longer chat as it brightens their day and mine. It’s a real mood lifter for all; I can’t recommend a bit of volunteering enough.”

Another staff member who has been doing her bit for a good cause is Jagruti Patel, Human Resources Assistant. She is also a coordinator for Asha Deep, a county-wide charity set up to help get food and other wellbeing services and support to vulnerable or isolated members of the Asian community.

Her role has been to set up all of the services for Northampton, recruiting and training volunteers, processing referrals, managing fundraising initiatives and coordinating all of the food donations.

They are planning to deliver upwards of 60 meals a week in Northampton and are now in the process of developing the wellbeing side of the project.

Psychology Lecturer Katere (‘Kati’) Pourseied is an expert who is passionate about helping people understand the complexity of their emotions and thoughts, their responses to stress and how to manage these and other positive psychology concepts in life-changing situations.

Outside of her lecturing duties, she also has a consultancy (Positive Psychology for Life) that provides organisation-wide workshops, including educational and community settings.

Because of the pandemic, she has also been offering free online sessions through her consultancy about stress, emotion regulation, stages of grief, resilience, mindset and parenting, parental guilt to those in self-isolation.

Psychology and Health student Samantha Hughes is in the final year of her degree and is also a qualified yoga instructor.

She has been providing free, online yoga classes for people wanting to calm and destress the mind and body during lockdown, or maintain their physical and mental well-being.

The two styles she has taught are Restoreyoga (gentle, calmer sessions ideal for beginners) and Sportyoga (more dynamic classes with a cardiovascular workout to build strength, improve flexibility & stability).

Executive Officer Nick Allen was part of the original group of hundreds of thousands of altruists nationwide who answered the NHS’s original call for a ‘volunteer army’.

He sums up the general mood of how the pandemic might have switched us on to volunteering: “Just signing up to be a volunteer for the health service was hugely positive because it sent out a clear signal that a lot of people were on stand-by to support their local community.

“Family members of mine who signed up when I did have subsequently been recruited to support elderly people through a local group rather than the national scheme. For myself, I’ll continue to be ‘on call’ until coronavirus is safely behind us.”

The University is also looking for volunteers to help Scrubs Up For Northants NHS – a voluntary group that supplies non-surgical scrubs to NHS staff in the county. Volunteer skill levels required are:

• Ironing of material, supplied by UON (dyed material will need ironing before cutting)
• Cutting skills in order to cut out scrub sets in sizes 3XL and 4XL, patterns will be provided
• Sewing skills from beginner to intermediate (there are no advance techniques needed).

Those who want to help support Northamptonshire NHS staff should fill out the volunteer form to register their interest. For more details, email elizabeth.quinn@northampton.ac.uk

Find out more about Volunteers’ Week on their website and follow the conversations on social media about volunteers this week using: #VolunteersWeek