After many years of alcohol use and failed attempts to quit I decided enough was enough. I knew what I had to do and with the help of Inclusion I was going to go at it one hundred percent. I knew a successful recovery was in the making and with the help of Inclusion I found recovery and a return to good health very enjoyable and rewarding. I was a new reconditioned and very much rejuvenated person. I continued to attend Inclusion on a daily basis whilst making small plans and goals.
One day my keyworker said that he noticed that people were listening to what I was saying and asked if I would be interested in doing some volunteering. I had become very passionate about recovery over the years and said yes straight away. My expectations of being a volunteer were not that great. I did think that I’d probably be a glorified tea maker and general errand person. I was wrong!
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Becoming a volunteer has been nothing shy of amazing. It has played a massive part in every area of my life. I found that I have been able to get so involved and my role is growing and developing constantly. The program itself is amazing and the support of every single colleague has been superb.
Being a volunteer in the short term gave me something to look forward to whilst keeping me active and feeling positive. I found myself helping and assisting service users as well as facilitating groups. As things progressed with training, attending events and new challenges it has become something I now nurture and continue to grow passionately for.
All in all I now believe that anything is possible and I can do anything if I put my mind to it. By becoming a volunteer proved to be a great move and gets better, more involved and interesting each day. This is all thanks to Inclusion both as a service user and volunteer.
If you would like to find out more about how you can volunteer with Inclusion Recovery Hampshire like Preston, please email us at inclusionvolunteering@mpft.nhs.uk