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Tracy said: “I spend six weeks visiting people who have just come out of hospital, just to make sure they’re doing okay and looking after themselves. At the moment I’m working with Arthur, who I visit for about an hour each week. I do things such as make him small snacks and drinks, just to check that he’s eating well. Last week, I dropped another one of my chaps off at the barbers because he wanted to get his hair cut – I do whatever is needed really.”
She added: “When we do visits, it’s all about communication really – having a friendly chat and looking out for signs of things like depression. My mum is in and out of hospital quite a lot at the moment, but there are four of us in our family who can support her. A lot of people don’t have that support and it must be really hard for them to cope on their own.”
Career opportunities
Volunteering for the Red Cross is also helping Tracy with her career prospects – and her long-held ambition to be a social worker. She said: “I’ve always wanted to become a social worker and, in September, I started a part-time Access to Social Work course at the City of Bristol College.
“My work with the Red Cross really gives me the experience I need to support my learning, since on the course we look at things like how to make assessments when visiting people to find out what they need.”
Tracy added: “Once I’m qualified, I’ll be working with adults and my volunteering role gives me valuable experience of working both with older people and people who live on their own."
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