Meet Super Steve
“it’s all about feeling needed, good company, sharing stories and having a laugh!”
Steve is a fantastic volunteer with Father Hudson’s Young at Heart Project in Stoke-on-Trent.
Over the years, Steve has had a varied career – featuring the Navy, spending time on submarines such as HMS Conqueror and HMS Sovereign to being a Prison Officer at Wormwood Scrubs and Winson Green before finishing his working life as a Hospital Porter at Royal Stoke with University Hospital North Midlands.
Since retiring, Steve hasn’t slowed down! He now teaches scuba diving classes once a week, but still felt like he had more to give and wanted to explore volunteering. He also wanted to stay active and continue a varied daily routine. After googling ‘volunteering in Stoke’, he came across our volunteering page.
Steve registered on our website and Emma, one of our Project Support Officers, invited Steve down for a chat and a brew at the Dudson Centre.
When they met up, it was clear that Steve had a friendly and outgoing personality which would be an asset to any local organisation. He loves to meet new people and was open to exploring different roles. He has a fantastic outlook on life with a great sense of humour to match and describes himself as the life and soul of any party – which we definitely agree with!
After discussing various roles and possibilities, Steve decided that he was still passionate about helping the NHS and wanted to volunteer in a “Meet and Greet” role at UHNM. Emma supported Steve with this referral and helped him to complete his application form which is now being processed by their Volunteering Team.
However, Steve and Emma didn’t stop there! Emma knew that Steve could do so much more with his amazing skillset and personality. They had a look at some of the other roles advertised on our website and settled on Father Hudson’s Young at Heart Project.
Father Hudson’s Young at Heart has been running since 2013, and was created to combat loneliness, and give people aged 55 and over a place to socialise and make new friends. They are all about providing a safe and welcoming environment for people who might otherwise feel isolated.
They were looking for a Caretaker Volunteer for their Hanley Group, which offers lunch, bingo and a variety of other activities to around 30 attendees every other Monday 10am – 2pm.
As Steve keeps himself fit and active, he seemed like an ideal match! Steve also wanted a social aspect to any volunteering he did, so Emma suggested that he stay for the group sessions – rather than just setting up the venue. As Steve has many a tale to tell, he loved that idea.
Emma referred Steve over to Alexandra Baines, who is the Project Coordinator. Alexandra invited Steve along to one of the groups as a taster. Steve absolutely loved his first visit, and straight away felt like he fitted in and was part of a team.
“From the moment Steve arrived, Steve got involved. He has the perfect personality for volunteering in any role. I just know he is going to be a key figure in our group, he is just what we needed!”
The Hanley Social Group all have fantastic things to say about Steve and he really enjoys the time he spends there. Steve finds volunteering offers him so many things, including new experiences, purpose, routine and a feeling of being wanted. Steve has picked up new skills, such as listening and empathy and made many new friends.
Steve said he would recommend volunteering to all. It has given him company, enjoyment, fulfilment, and a reason to stay active.
In Steve’s own words: “it’s all about feeling needed, good company, sharing stories and having a laugh!”
