The lived experiences of our volunteers

At Anglia Care Trust we are proud to have more than 200 volunteers giving up their time to support people in need across the region. But what a lot of people don’t know is that many of them have been in a similar place as those we support. 

A host of our volunteers have real, lived experiences and are on a mission to give back and be the helping hand they needed themselves in what had been the most difficult times in their lives. From survivors to those on recovery journeys themselves from substance misuse, mental health crisis and homelessness, they each have a story and a desire to transform lives.

Volunteer Development Manager, Lisa Miles

One of those is our Volunteer Development Manager, Lisa Miles, who first got into volunteering after experiencing a difficult period in her life almost 15 years ago.

Giving up her time to help others, she volunteered in a charity that focused on empowering those with substance misuse issues, before going on to run a recovery hub with a team of volunteers.

Lisa now manages our team of volunteers – using her skills gained from a previous career in recruitment to find the best services for people to lend a hand in.

“I've been at ACT for more than 10 years now,” she said. “My background is in sales, marketing and recruitment, where I worked for around a decade – but I wanted to use my skillset to help others, which inspired me to start volunteering.

I've volunteered and worked in numerous positions since, including becoming employed as a lead for a women and families in the substance misuse service in Ipswich that I had been volunteering in.  

Volunteering has had a hugely positive impact on my life and I love that I get to see people’s potential and help them – whether it be getting the experience needed to help them get their dream job, helping them to become part of a new community with shared values or giving them a sense of purpose in completely new ways in their retirement.  I love it – it’s hugely rewarding.” 

Last year alone, Lisa’s team of volunteers delivered the equivalent hours of 16 full-time members of staff across Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. Many have also gone on to work with us full-time or go on to study at leading universities to pursue their ambitions of helping people.

“My role at ACT has grown hugely,” Lisa added. “When I first started we had around 50 volunteers and now that figure stands at more than 200.  My role is all about recruiting the right volunteers and recognising their strengths and identifying the best places for them to help our service users. All of the volunteers we have supporting us here are just amazing.

Another big part of my role now as chair of our BAME committee is promoting diversity. I deliver LGBTQ+ sessions and others in understanding cultural difference and race in the organisation."

Lisa added that she is always on the lookout for more people to join our team:

“We’re always looking to grow our team,” she said. “So we’d love for anyone considering joining us as a volunteer to get in touch. Our volunteer roles are designed with flexibility in mind. Each of our volunteers decide how much time they can afford to give us, while we provide the training and support."

Those looking to give up their time to support our organisation can call Lisa on 01473 622888 or visit our dedicated volunteer page here.