‘Incredible’ volunteer role for ex-graphic designer
A PORTSMOUTH graphic designer who was made redundant during the pandemic has found a new career thanks to volunteering.
Harry Elliot, 39, from Southsea, had his job as a college graphic designer put on hold due to the pandemic and as a result he began volunteering at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in September 2020. He started as a bag drop volunteer before joining the hospital’s Family Liaison Service as bank staff. The flexible position also allowed Harry to spend time focusing on his freelance photography business.
Harry said: ‘It’s an incredibly rewarding job. As a Family Liaison Officer, we’re able to visit patients and provide wellbeing support through video calls, activities, and even simply a chat to cheer them up,
‘It’s wonderful to see the difference we make to patients and, by the time you leave, they have a smile on their face.’
During the pandemic, the Family Liaison team were ensuring that patients could stay in touch with their loved ones, and from December 2021 to May 2022, the team provided 3,304 phone and video connections for patients.
Harry recently won Employee of the Month at the Trust after the family of a patient nominated him for his incredible work.
The patient was admitted to Queen Alexandra Hospital and remained there for seven weeks before sadly passing away.
The 39-year-old visited her numerous times to keep her company and connected her with her loved ones.
The patient’s daughter said: “Harry was the constant face of caring reassurance for my dear mum during her lengthy admission to PHU. He allowed us as a family to have FaceTime communication with my mum when Covid restrictions meant we were not able to visit in person. ‘We are devastated by her loss but as a family we want to thank Harry for going above and beyond.”
Harry said: ‘I got to know her a lot during her stay and I visited her on the morning of her death. It meant a lot to be nominated by her family.’
The volunteer said that he did not expect to be working in a hospital but that they offer volunteers many opportunities.