Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland celebrates Volunteers Week

Charity volunteers are making a huge difference to people living with chest, heart & stroke conditions in Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Article Source: Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland
Last Updated: 31 May 2022 11:53

Scottish health charity, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, is celebrating Volunteers’ Week (1 – 7 June) by saying a massive thank you to their incredible volunteers who dedicate their time to helping people with chest, heart and stroke conditions live their lives to the full.

In Greater Glasgow and Clyde over 388,700 people are living with chest, heart and stroke conditions.

The charity’s team of over 7,000 volunteers are vital in helping them reach people in our communities across the country who are in need of support. The economic benefit to the charity over the last 12 months was an incredible £1.6 million.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s volunteers in Greater Glasgow and Clyde dedicated over 21,500 hours over the last year to help people in the local community by volunteering at the charity’s support services, in their retail stores and at fundraising events.

One of the amazing volunteers the charity is celebrating and thanking this week is Doalty Sweeney.

Doalty Sweeney, 69, lives in Glasgow and has been a Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland volunteer for 14 years and is one of the volunteers on the newly formed Glasgow Southside Walking Group.

Doalty is a dad of three and grandad of three who lives in Glasgow with his wife of 47 years. He worked in retail all of his life and was still working when he first volunteered with the charity.

He says: “It really was just chance that I ended up with CHSS. The advert was to work with people who had had a stroke and now had communication difficulties.

“For the last 14 years, I’ve been involved with the communication group, using all the tools that CHSS provide to help people improve their speech. We all get to know each other very well and it’s become a very important part of my life.

“We couldn’t meet in person for a long time because of the coronavirus restrictions. And what stood out for me was how lovely it was to see everyone’s smiling, happy faces again when the groups were able to get back together.

“The group is so important for stroke survivors because this might be the only time they get to have such focused communication.”

Last year Doalty helped establish the new Glasgow Southside walking group for those with chest, heart and stroke conditions, which meets fortnightly for leisurely strolls in Rouken Glen Park.

Elaine Fisher, the CHSS volunteer coordinator for Glasgow, credits Doalty for his efforts in getting the group up and running.

She says: “He has really taken this role and run with it. He takes care of the register and makes sure everyone stays together. He supports and encourages everyone, all the while cracking his jokes.

“Doalty has been a wonderful volunteer, and we are so grateful for all his efforts.”

Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said: “We want to say a massive thank you to our amazing volunteers. They are a true inspiration to everyone across the charity – we see first-hand the hugely important and selfless efforts they make each week to help others.

“Whether they’re volunteering to raise vital funds in our shops or at our fundraising events, or they’re dedicating their time to support people living with chest, heart and stroke conditions to live their lives to the full through our services, they are making a real difference to people’s lives.

“Volunteers’ Week is a great time to celebrate our amazing volunteers and put them right at the centre of our thoughts and thanks. We appreciate the incredible work they do all year round to help make sure there’s no life half lived in Scotland.”

If you’d like to find out more about volunteering with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, you can contact their volunteering team on volunteering@chss.org.uk

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