Spotlight on a volunteer
Meet Ann who volunteers twice a week for WLAC…
Ann moved to London in 2022 and almost immediately started trying to find volunteering opportunities. Having previously volunteered with vulnerable children and adults in New York, she was keen to give her time and energy to help people in need in her new home city.
Luckily for us, Ann found WLAC. She read about the counselling and therapy services we offer to families on our website and says that she was thrilled to find a local charity doing this kind of work in her new neighbourhood and looking for volunteers. She got in touch, completed our routine background checks and since August last year has been volunteering every week.
Ann spends one morning a week at Cameo, WLAC’s ’stay and play’ group for parents and pre-school children. This drop-in group offers an opportunity for parents to chat with therapists and join in story time and songs with their children (infants to 4 year olds). Ann plays with the children while their parents talk to the therapists and she also chats to parents and answers questions about WLAC. Cameo is a friendly and welcoming environment for children and parents. It can be an important ‘gateway’ service for new client families to find out more about our work and chat informally to therapists before joining groups or starting 1:1 or family therapy. Ann says that parents share their stories and challenges with her and also tell her how much they appreciate what the charity offers.
Ann spends a second day in the office doing whatever is needed. She says the work is very varied. It might be writing thank you letters to donors, helping to prepare for a fundraising event or entering new client referrals onto the client database. Ann is flexible and helps the team however she can.
Ann has spent a lot of time with the team and says she is very impressed by how dedicated the therapists are to their clients and also to their profession. She commented on how they are constantly seeking to learn and develop their practice, including participating in research and new initiatives. Ann says that she has gained insights into their various specialisms and sees how their breadth of experience and variety of approaches ensures that the charity can meet diverse and complex client needs.
Ann says she has seen first hand the extent of local need that WLAC is working to meet. Many people assume that Kensington and Chelsea is an area of extreme wealth and clearly there is enormous wealth and privilege. But there are also lots of families in extreme poverty. Ann says that she has seen first hand how the cost of living crisis is putting additional strains on many more families. Counselling and therapy services offer families hope. By listening and talking, our therapists and volunteers help families realise that they are not alone with their struggles. Ann says she has heard directly from clients about how counselling and therapy is helping them to cope and move forward more positively.
Ann has noticed that many WLAC clients have children with additional special needs. Asking for help, particularly with parenting, requires insight and courage. Ann says she has seen how all the members of the WLAC team do everything they can to make the process as accessible and supportive for families as possible. Ann has been struck by how deeply everyone at the charity cares about the families they help. She says it has been eye-opening to see how the therapists and staff have devoted their careers and lives to helping others.
WLAC is very fortunate to have Ann on the team. And so are our clients. Her time, energy, compassion and warmth are as valuable as her technical skills and the contribution she makes to the smooth running of the organisation. Big thanks to Ann and all our volunteers who give their time and support.
If you’d like to find out more about how you can make a difference, please get in touch. Ann would be happy to chat about her experiences over the phone or at the office.