Health Heroes
Volunteers give really vital help to people using so many of our services. They give their time and experience in so many ways.
Annemarie Atkins
Annemarie is a fantastic volunteer helping to support families with new born babies in Coventry with the infant feeding work she does as a Breastfeeding Counsellor and support SWFT’s Infant Feeding Team. Annemarie supports at two of the Family Hubs in Coventry in a voluntary capacity and has done for the last few years, offering breast / infant feeding support groups at Woodside and The Moat Family Hubs.
As a Mum of 4 children, Annemarie still finds time to volunteer twice a week at the Hubs and amazingly also gives of her spare time to help support the National Breastfeeding Helpline. Her nominator said she’s “always cheerful, positive and passionate about helping families to understand the importance of building close and loving relationships with their babies”.
Annemarie has played in key role in the Infant Feeding Team’s National and World Breastfeeding Events in the city and is currently working with the team to develop an initiative for the forthcoming City of Culture!
Sally Keil
Sally is one of the volunteer team at CGL Coventry and was nominated by two separate members of staff. Sally has volunteered with CGL for nearly two years on an almost full-time basis. There is nothing she is not willing to get fully involved with and has frequently stepped outside her comfort zone to help and support others without judgement.
She is reliable, trustworthy, wise and has pulled quite a few people back to safety who have found themselves 'on the brink' with her natural empathy and kindness. She recently set up and is successfully facilitating a weekly online women's group for those who are struggling with dependency issues and cannot attend the physical groups which are currently unavailable due to the current COVID 19 restrictions.
One of Sally’s nominators described her as a ‘breath of fresh air’ and someone who “brings so much energy into everything that she does”
Alvaro Grana
Alvaro is 74 years young and came to Britain originally in 1973 from Peru to study in this country for two years. He understands the difficulties of settling in another country and uses his wealth of experience and knowledge of coming to Britain as a refugee to help others, who through no fault of their own, find themselves coming here to start a new life. All of this has inspired him to volunteer with several charitable organisation in Coventry including, Carriers of Hope, the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, and Coventry Peace House.
Alvaro has a great understanding of men’s mental health issues, particularly those who have settled here from other countries as he has lived experience of this. Alvaro also volunteers at Coventry Peace House, acting as an adviser to male asylum seekers staying at the night shelter.
Alvaro’s nominator described him as a “remarkable gentleman” and commended his awareness of mental health issues and emotional intelligence which helps him to connect with the people he supports.