6 months, 30 volunteers and 610 hours - Kidney Wales
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6 months, 30 volunteers and 610 hours

 

The Volunteer Ambassador project is over 6 months old and continues going from strength to strength thanks to the amazing people who volunteered to take part.

 

Since the programme began in September 2021, interest in the project was overwhelming with over 30 people signing up to take part! As of July 2022, Kidney Wales has gained 19 fully trained Ambassadors with many more awaiting their ambassador training.

 

The Ambassador scheme is an awareness raising project wherein volunteers with a personal connection to kidney disease deliver awareness talks across Wales. As of March 2022, our amazing ambassadors have delivered 13 awareness talks both online and in person, as of July that number is 16!

The project has reached a wide variety of people, organisations and businesses that include:

 

  • Stroke Association
  • WCVA
  • Unison
  • Community Yoga classes
  • Swansea university wellbeing team
  • NHS staff and support groups
  • Students for organ donation
  • Pontcanna WI

 

And more!

 

As a result, the project has seen 610 volunteer hours logged with that number still increasing.

 

 

The talks have been extremely well received and proved useful in raising awareness of kidney disease and educating people in kidney health. One talk recipient commented ‘I have no hesitation in saying we all now know where to go for support for any client and their families presenting with this issue’

 

In addition to these great achievements, there is another welcome outcome of the Ambassador Project. A new branch of our Welsh kidney community.

 

 

Our ambassadors are a group of tenacious, kind and enthusiastic people. Some are Kidney patients themselves, some are organ donors, some are friends and family of Kidney Patients, some are carers, and some are NHS workers. Regardless of their backgrounds they work together to create a brand-new support network. Via Facebook and WhatsApp groups, they support each other, share experiences and even buddy up to practice their talks.

 

So, in addition to raising awareness of kidney disease across Wales, the Ambassador project has improved the social lives and wellbeing of the volunteers themselves by creating a community that might not have otherwise existed in this strange time as we emerge from the pandemic.

 

Almost every volunteer Ambassador commented that this sense of community and support is one of the best parts of being involved with the project.

 

If you would like to be a part of this ever-growing community, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and fill out an expression of interest form. We can’t wait to see where the ambassador project leads us!