It’s Volunteers Week 2018 and we are showcasing some of our volunteer’s stories here on the website. Every single volunteer is important to us but we hope these stories will inspire you and if you are interested in volunteering with us check out our Volunteering section here
Sophie is working with the Cocktails in Care Homes team to help them develop a more effective evaluation model as well as helping with some of the other work the team does to prepare for our parties. Here she answers some questions posed by Sarah Watson our Cocktails In Care Homes Project Co-ordinator:
Why did you want to volunteer with Magic Me / Cocktails in Care Homes?
I love the incentive behind the Cocktails in Care Homes project! Having volunteered in a care home for a few years, I‘ve found that I love interacting with older people and I find the work I do there really rewarding. I also needed to gain skills in office administration so the Cocktails in Care Homes seemed like the perfect combination!
Can you talk a bit about your experiences of Care Homes?
My grandparents used to live in a Care Home so I’ve visited them from a young age, and then two years ago I began volunteering at one in my local area to help lead art workshops there. Every care home I’ve been to is completely different and it’s been interesting to get to see the wide range. My perceptions of care homes have definitely changed since volunteering for Cocktails in Care Homes; I think there is a big potential for what can happen in care homes and the experiences that can take place there.
What are you looking to gain from your placement at Magic Me?
I mainly wanted to gain skills in office administration and I have already learnt so much in this area. I also found the Dementia awareness training really informative (I highly recommend!) Additionally, It has also been really interesting to learn about the running of the project and more widely about an Arts charity.
What is your favourite Cocktail!?
Pina Colada!
Picture shows Sarah (left) and Sophie (right) sorting out our props boxes in the Magic Me office.