Volunteers Week 2022: Christine's story

What motivated you to volunteer with West Sussex Mind?

I was a service user who was invited to take the peer mentoring course. I can't work full time, due to my disabilities, but I have known for many years that I love helping and supporting others, which in turn improves my well-being. I’ve been a volunteer for five years now.

What kind of things do you get involved in?

My primary role with West Sussex Mind is as a volunteer peer mentor. Peer mentors help to support service users on an individual basis. For example, I sometimes support service users to attend new groups, because we all know that going somewhere for the first time can be quite daunting. So initially, I’ll attend the first four sessions with them and see how they are getting on – if they are happy to enter the room unaccompanied and to sit with others. For some people, it takes longer than four times, due to severe anxiety.

I have also been on interview panels for internal and external roles and I have helped at events to recruit new volunteers. I’m a Champion for West Sussex Mind and I host two Zoom groups and a get together session at The Gateway in Worthing. I have also been on panels as a service user to voice opinions about West Sussex Mind’s services, most recently as part of its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion panel.

What time commitment does your volunteering involve?

On a regular basis, it's about three hours per week, but that can increase occasionally to eight hours if lots of people need my input.

What do you get out of it personally?

I get free training, which even at my age is a good thing. But most of all it's my way of giving back especially as I can't 'work'. It is a real boost to my morale, confidence, self-esteem and pride to know that I helped just one person a week take that first huge step towards the start of their own recovery.

Why do you think the role of a peer mentor is so important in mental health?

The stigma towards having a mental health condition even now is just so awful. So having a peer mentor with lived experience to help someone who is struggling can give the mentee hope that things can get better. I'm a prime example of improvement – of the progress that can be achieved if you take things at a steady pace. I also think that it helps mentees just knowing that the person who is helping them completely understands their anxiety, panic, depression or whatever they are struggling with.

We might be diagnosed with completely different conditions, but many of the symptoms can be the same, especially in a new environment. Not feeling judged and feeling safe really helps with the initial stages of recovery.