Interviewer

So, first of all, could I ask you your name?

 

Anita Carrasco

Miss Anita Carrasco.

 

Interviewer

And could I ask you where you volunteer?

 

Anita Carrasco

Friends of St. Mary’s

 

Anita Carrasco

In the Queen Mother building

 

Interviewer

And could I ask you your age

 

Anita Carrasco

69.

 

Interviewer

Well, it’s lovely to meet you today, Anita. And can you tell me what first made you get involved in volunteering?

 

Anita Carrasco

I used to have a support worker that came for four hours a day, which used to be on a Wednesday. And after that, the rest of the week I had all on my own, and I used to get lonely.

 

Interviewer

And how long ago did you start volunteering?

 

Anita Carrasco

It’s 14 years, last January. I was volunteering on a Thursday.

 

Interviewer

And when that support worker, I don’t know if you can remember this, first suggested you should get involved in volunteering, What did you feel about it?

 

Anita Carrasco

It was my idea.

 

Interviewer

It was your idea?

 

Anita Carrasco

Because I used to do voluntary work when I was a school girl, when I was 11.

 

Interviewer

So when you were a school girl, what did you used to do?

 

Anita Carrasco

I used to help in Lyon’s tea shop.

 

Interviewer

And where was that?

 

Anita Carrasco

That was in Marble Arch, which is now a McDonald’s.

 

Interviewer

Oh, okay. On the corner there? Excellent.

 

Anita Carrasco

I did, even Shenna told me she did voluntary work when she was a school girl as well, during school holidays

 

Interviewer
So you started off with this sort of volunteering and you enjoyed volunteering?

 

Anita Carrasco

Yes.

 

Interviewer

Excellent.

 

Anita Carrasco

So I’ve done voluntary work for Woolworths in Notting Hill Gate. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> I saw the Notting Hill Carnival free of charge every year.

 

Interviewer

That must have been fantastic.

 

Anita Carrasco

I’ve done voluntary work in Regents Park Zoo, in the cafe.

 

Interviewer

So you did, were these long periods of volunteering, or is it just for a week or two?

 

Anita Carrasco

Well, not long, different people each time.

 

Interviewer

Yes, absolutely.

 

Anita Carrasco

I’ve worked for United Dairies. That was the first volunteer I’ve done.

 

Interviewer

So you’ve done lots and lots of different things, but it feels like you’ve stuck at some areas for a long time.

 

Anita Carrasco

This would’ve been my 14th year on a Thursday.

Interviewer

So what made you stick at St. Mary’s?

 

Anita Carrasco

What was, well, I was enjoying every minute of the work. I never complained when I started what jobs I had to do. I enjoyed everything.

 

Interviewer

And what about the people? Were the people nice?

 

Anita Carrasco

Yes. that’s where I met Shenna for the very first time.

 

Interviewer

That’s lovely. And what did you do while you were there? What was your role?

 

Anita Carrasco

I was filling up the shelves with bars of chocolate, filling the fridges with cans, and bottles of drink. Different fridges to what they’ve got now in the shop.

 

Interviewer

And what else did the shop sell?

 

Anita Carrasco

Pricing! I was doing lots of pricing, pricing cakes, and other things.

 

Interviewer

What else did the shop sell?

 

Anita Carrasco

They sold all those things on there.

 

Interviewer

So…

 

Anita Carrasco

Sold crisps, I put packets of crisps out.

 

Interviewer

I think I saw Helium balloons as well. Is that right?

 

Anita Carrasco

Helium balloons. We used to do, they don’t do those now in there.

Interviewer

Okay. So lots and lots of different things. It would be your favorite memory of volunteering?

Anita Carrasco

Yes, making a lot of friends.

Interviewer

Okay. And do you still meet those friends now?

Anita Carrasco

The one I see the most of is Shenna.

Interviewer

Okay. So it’s become like more like a friendship outside of the volunteering. So like a, a, I was going to say a proper friendship, but you know what I mean? It’s like you support each other and you meet each other socially, and those sorts of issues. And do you think the friends group is different today to it was years ago. What’s different about it today?

Anita Carrasco

I think it’s because of COVID that put a stop to it.

Interviewer

Okay. So there’s less opportunities.

 

Anita Carrasco

Yes.

 

Interviewer

And of course, hospitals are a difficult place for people to go in and out or during COVID. And perhaps people haven’t got used to that so much. So do you think there’s still a need for friends groups today?

 

Anita Carrasco

I think so.

 

Interviewer

And you described volunteering, if you like, as an opportunity which you’ve taken on board. it felt to me when you suggested it, that it’s your support worker’s way of getting you back out and in the community. For people who still feel a bit isolated, want to get back out in the, to the community, do you think it’s a good thing for them to do today?

 

Anita Carrasco

Yes.

 

Interviewer

Excellent. Now, is there anything else that you want to tell me?

 

Anita Carrasco

It would be nice, if your people had a magic wand and you could get it back.

 

Interviewer

Absolutely.

 

Anita Carrasco

You could call it Imperial College Hospital Shop.

 

Interviewer

I think that where we are at, it will take a little while for things to get back to normal, or back to as they were, but I think we are going in that direction.

 

Anita Carrasco

Definitely because all of us missing it, we all saw each other on flag day at Paddington Station, and we haven’t seen each other for just over two years. I saw Maggie on that day and Maria.

 

Interviewer

Well, let’s see if we can make something happen