Sometimes finding your way into work takes more than a good CV or a successful interview. It takes encouragement, opportunities to gain experience and people who believe in what you can achieve.
That’s why working with other organisations has always been such an important part of Grow.
One partnership that has made a real difference is our work with Imperial Health Charity, whose Volunteer Employability Programme has given women from the Grow community opportunities to volunteer in NHS hospitals, develop new skills and explore careers in healthcare.
Through Grow, women have received support with their confidence, CVs, applications and career goals. Imperial Health Charity has been able to build on that support by offering practical experience in a hospital environment, helping women discover new possibilities for their futures.
Different women, different journeys
For Kelly, who had spent much of her career working in hospitality, volunteering at St Mary’s Hospital helped her discover that a career in healthcare might be possible after all.
Kavitha, who had previously worked in IT, found that volunteering opened her eyes to the many different roles available in the NHS, including opportunities where she could use her existing skills.
And Sangeeta, preparing to return to employment after a long career break, was supported by Grow to apply for the volunteering programme as another step towards rebuilding her confidence and experience.
Their journeys are different, but they demonstrate something important: you don’t always need to know exactly where you’re going to take a positive step forward.
The difference working together can make
Maryam Bello-Tukur from Imperial Health Charity recently shared some lovely words about the partnership and the women supported through it.
She reflected on how women referred by Grow have volunteered in hospitals, with some going on to secure paid roles as medical laboratory assistants, healthcare assistants and imaging assistants.
As Maryam put it, “sometimes it really does take a village.”
And that’s what good partnership working is about. Bringing together different skills, opportunities and support so that women have more ways to move forward.
Could volunteering help you?
Volunteering can be a great way to explore a new career, gain recent experience, meet people and discover skills you didn’t realise you had.
It doesn’t have to be in a hospital. There are opportunities in schools, charities, community organisations and many other settings.
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