“My Name is Scarlett and I was a Young Ambassador at St Clare Hospice from September 2017 to February 2018. I applied just after my GCSEs and as I was starting my first year of sixth form. At the moment I am studying for A-Levels in Chemistry, Psychology and Biology.”
“I decided to apply to become a Young Ambassador because I am looking to do a degree and pursue a career in clinical psychology.”
“I know it is quite difficult to get any clinical or medical work experience or volunteering when you are under 18 years, so when I saw the St Clare Young Ambassadors scheme on the vInspired website, I thought it was the perfect opportunity.”
“I thought that volunteering as a Young Ambassador would help with my University application, and that it would be great to have experience in a clinical workplace where I could interact with people, and learn about the medical side as well as the psychological side of healthcare. It seemed like such a good opportunity, whatever career route I choose to go down.”
“As a Young Ambassador I volunteered on the Inpatient Unit every Thursday evening for two hours. There are eight beds on the unit, so a possible eight patients to meet every week.”
“The sixth month placement started off with me interacting with the patients and their families and visitors. I would visit each room, and make hot drinks for the patients and families, and just chat and get to know them. I volunteered over three school half terms, and each half term my duties progressed to the more medical side. Later in the placement I shadowed nurses and nursing assistants and saw how to dress wounds and help people with personal care.”
“I met so many different types of people whilst volunteering. And I saw the different types of care that take place at a hospice. People are not only here for end of life care, in the last few weeks and days of their lives, but are also there for respite care and pain management. Everyone was so friendly, and were always up for having a chat!”
“The Hospice wasn’t what I expected, it was a cheerful place, and it was about giving people hope and bringing people together – not just end of life care.”
“My favourite thing about being Young Ambassador at St Clare’s was really meeting everyone and coming in each week – it really felt like a family. It was really nice to see people and chat with the nurses, as well as the new patients. I got to see how everything worked, which I liked because it was really dynamic and nice to be a part of.”
“St Clare has definitely changed my perception of hospices; it was less daunting than I thought it would be. It wasn’t a dark or gloomy place, it was really light and everyone was happy – so it was different to what I expected, but good different! I wasn’t sure if I could act a certain way, or how I should be, but it was really nice and warm and everyone welcomed me.”
“It was easy to get along with everyone, and everyone was happy to have me there to learn and be part of the team – it was just really easy to fit in.”
“I think being a Young Ambassador has made me grow up quite a bit, and helped me to mature and learn to work in a team – which is a really good thing to prepare me for Uni. It’s also made me more independent, and it’s given me a better perception on life.”
“Volunteering at St Clare has helped me to realise more about myself.”
“I want to strive to do really well at University because I know I want to do something like work in a hospice or healthcare profession. It was a really good experience which opened my eyes, and shown me that it is something I would like to do when I am older.”
“I’m applying for University now and hopefully I’m going to go in 2019 to study Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience – or something along those lines.”
“I would definitely recommend the Young Ambassadors scheme at St Clare to young people who are looking for a clinical career like medicine, nursing, or clinical psychology.”
“It is a great opportunity for people looking for experience in a hospital or hospice environment, and I recommend applying!”
