“#HealthNow means a lot to me. It’s changed my world in a way, more confidence, I get to know different kinds of people from different backgrounds. It included me”
In November we were delighted to finally (covid and train strikes had other ideas!), hold our first #HealthNow Peer Conference in Birmingham recently, and the feedback we received from the day has been phenomenal! Three years into our #HealthNow partnership with Crisis and Shelter, Peer Coordinator Emma Casey reflects on the day.
It was such a pleasure to see so many of our wonderful volunteers together in one place, and we hope everyone enjoyed the day as much as we did. The weather wasn’t great and the situation with trains was far from ideal, but people travelled from far and wide regardless to come together in celebration of everything we have achieved, and the rain did nothing to dampen our spirits!
Visual minutes of the day, created by Claire Stringer
The event
The event was a joyous and uplifting experience, starting with a hilarious opening segment by fantastic #HealthNow Newcastle volunteer James, which set the mood for the day perfectly.
Throughout the day we heard many positive, powerful stories from current and former volunteers who generously shared their experiences and successes. Representatives from each #HealthNow area (Birmingham, Greater Manchester, London, Newcastle & West Yorkshire) delivered unique and engaging presentations to let us all know about the fantastic work that peers have been doing in their own local areas.
“I learned a lot today, I met some very experienced people, and very interesting people. It’s been a great day. It’s been good. it’s been fantastic.” – #HealthNow volunteer
The peer network – a team effort
We understand that it wasn’t easy for everyone to attend, and if you managed to do so in spite of any health problems or other challenging life circumstances you were facing, we hope that you are very proud of your achievement. We were so pleased so many of the #HealthNow network were able to join us.
“I wasn’t going to come, but I’m proud I’m here. I’m here, and I’ve done it, and it’s been very good. Lovely day.” – #HealthNow volunteer
In recognition of the hard work and dedication that went into making the conference such a huge success, we would like to say a special thanks to everyone involved. We are grateful to everyone who participated in the planning meetings, to all those who spoke on the day, and to Rachel and Mathilde who worked tirelessly for months to ensure that the event was an enjoyable and memorable experience.
This #HealthNow volunteer described what the day meant to them:
“I’ve learned a lot about different experiences today, how people are helping other people, and how that’s impacting them and their lives, and how people have been involved in volunteering, and in the end they’ve got a job, so we can be so proud of that!”
Most of all, we would like to thank all attendees for the positive energy you brought with you on the day, and the resounding success of the event was entirely due to your presence and enthusiasm!
“#HealthNow means a lot to me. It’s changed my world in a way, more confidence, I get to know different kinds of people from different backgrounds. It included me, like I wasn’t left out, so it means a lot to me. It means the world to me.” – #HealthNow volunteer