Interviewer

So could I ask you your name?

Jayne Vaughan

My name is Jane Vaughan.

Interviewer

And could I ask how old you are, Jane?

Jayne Vaughan

I’m 51 years old.

Interviewer

And what group are we talking about today?

Jayne Vaughan

We’re talking about the Robert Jones Agnes Hunt Hospital in Shropshire.

Interviewer

Okay. And could I ask what initially got you involved in volunteering?

Jayne Vaughan

It started off with me being in hospital, with an illness that nearly took my life, really. It was a brain injury and I was in hospital in Bolton for 12 months. I had to have rehabilitation, and it’s my voice went, my as,  in my voice went meant, you know, the connection through the brain to the verbally, everything.  I couldn’t see. Okay. So there was lots of things going. So that basically I couldn’t work. I moved from Bolton, to be near my sister, who works at the hospital, Robert Jones as a nurse. She’s worked here for 20 years. You know, was trying to encourage me as I couldn’t go back to work, but to get my health back to a standard, whereas, you know, that I was, it was mainly mentally for me, the physically side, you know, I was struggling, but mentally is scary when it starts, you know, you don’t know what’s happening.

Jayne Vaughan

So when I started, I came into the hospital, and I went to the volunteer’s office, and asked if they need, you know, if there was any vacancies? But I explained my illness and how, whether I was going to be okay doing what I wanted. But the support from the League of Friends was immense, gets me a bit touchy because can’t thank them enough for what they did for me, not just did for me, you know, it’s, but to let me join as a group and with all the League of Friends that was here, the volunteers, and it was scariest, but yet the challenging, the most rewarding thing that’s ever come out of me doing this. And it was basically to give back to the NHS for the brilliant work they did to get me back to how I am. From being to near death as well as they said, to say thank you, and to give back as much help.

Jayne Vaughan

And also I am getting back to get me better. So it’s a, a two-way, thank you. And you know, getting me back to Jane as possible. I have two daughters that live in Bolton. One’s a police officer, and the others at university. They stayed in Bolton, and they went through the journey with me of nearly losing their Mum. So when they came to the hospital, and sat waiting for me to finish my shift, to see their Mum go from nearly losing me, to watching me working, and being happy and laughing and making new friends, it made, what it did to them was, it made them, you know, the smiles on their faces, the joy that you know, that, that it’s done for me, and also I can give. So it wasn’t just me, also it was my family members that the friends has done so much for. So I can’t say thank you enough. Okay.

Interviewer

So can you tell me when you first joined, what did you get involved doing,  what volunteering?

Jayne Vaughan

When I got involved they asked me, you know, at the interview what I thought was, you know, would suit me. And I’ve done working in the coffee shop in the past, as an employed job. So I just stuck to what I knew, you know, because I was coming out of my comfort zone with everything. So I went and I’ve stuck in the coffee shop. I sometimes come out, and there’s, and help out in the Veterans. I go down there with the sandwiches and, and also I can chat. Because you don’t tend to, you know, you want to know what’s going on in different sections. I get very involved and, and find helping out and, but the coffee shop at the main entrance is the main one that I do help out with morning, and afternoons and not just the colleagues that I work with that are tremendous,  it’s meeting the patients that are coming in, the family that are coming in to visit the patients. So you, you through all walks of life and you get a story every day that’s different. That’s lovely. And it makes you, you know, hearing everybody’s, everybody has a walk of life, has a story to tell that’s good or bad, but you, and we’re there to listen and it helps you as well as you helping them. It’s a two way street,  I see it as.

Interviewer

So you talked about your daughters coming here and seeing you and they said they saw you making new friends as the Friends also created a friendship network for you personally.

Jayne Vaughan

Definitely, because I’m not from this neck of the woods, as they say. And I’m from Bolton. It was a struggle, but it was the best thing for me to move away and start a new life. In one breath it was a hard decision, but in the next breath it was the best decision. And when I came in here, I didn’t have a lot of friends. I didn’t, and the amount of friends I have overwhelming, it’s, it just makes me so happy. And I know I’ve said it and I keep saying it. Thank you.

Interviewer

So normally as part of these interviews I ask for a favourite memory of volunteering and, and, and it feels like there’s a lot of good personal stuff in it for you?

Jayne Vaughan

Very much so. And I could be here all day.

Interviewer

In terms of perhaps patients and families that you meet, do you have a particular memory around meeting them or

Jayne Vaughan

Just how much it’s how patient they are with you and how understanding,

Interviewer

To be honest, your story is all about the difference it’s made for you

 

Jayne Vaughan

Yes. And what difference I can make for League of Friends. Yes. Because I, like I said, it was a two way I wanted to say thank you to the NHS, which I do believe doesn’t get enough of, of the help. They were absolutely wonderful to get me back as far as they could, but the aftercare was up to myself. So doing this was not just gaining, it was also saying thank you, I think for, okay. Have I answered that right?

Interviewer

Yes. So if I was somebody listening to this, and particularly if I was somebody listening to this who felt they’d got a few challenges and that they weren’t necessarily sure that people would want them to get involved, what would you say to me to say it’s worth coming and contacting here?

Jayne Vaughan

I would say that that thought would be farther from the truth. I would say that, yes. I did feel exactly the same. So thinking that isn’t, you know, doesn’t make it that you are a bad person or your thoughts. And I would say 100% and even more than 100%,  the support, it isn’t just about what they can get from you and what you can put in the support. It’s tremendous. And I would recommend working with League of Friends. So a thousand thousand percent you’re in safe hands.

Interviewer

Now, before we started talking, you said you were a bit nervous.

Jayne Vaughan

I’d never heard of League of Friends before. I don’t, I never, I’ve worked in hospitals and I’ve worked in Care homes. That was my job. And I don’t think I’d heard them as a charity in Bolton. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> in the north till coming up here. So I didn’t know a lot about it, but what I have learnt, and what I do know now, it’s, you know, it’s absolutely, it is a charity on its own. I would say, you know, the League of Friends. It is so many avenues that it’s, it deals with and there’s a person that fits every avenue that can come into this sector. And I would give a really big shout to you and, and if anybody wants to come in and give the support, it’s the best decision you’ll ever make.

Interviewer

Thank you.