Chapter 16

‘Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.’ Elizabeth Andrew

I have undertaken a lot of voluntary work throughout my life, and have worked for three Charities. In the early part of the new century, I became a member of St John Ambulance. Members would regularly meet up for training and we would frequently attend events together. As a nurse, I was always the healthcare professional ‘in charge’ of any incidents, although there were many who were probably more experienced than I was. St John Ambulance crews always look very professional and their first aid training is excellent; at least, that’s my opinion. Uniforms were quite different back then with the black jumpers and trousers. Today, they look more like ambulance crew and drive around in ambulances.

In 1997, I decided to join the police force as a special. At my interview I was told I had interviewed better than most who applied for the regular police force; which of course made me feel particularly proud. I attended all the training and my passing out parade, but when I got a job in London I had to leave. Taking this job and leaving the police force was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life and I have regretted this decision ever since. It is easy to say there is still an opportunity to re-join and yes that’s correct, but it’s probably not something I am going to do now, and that’s a shame.

In 2018 I became Chair of The Yorkshire and Humber Regional Board of the Royal College of Nursing, (RCN) Union. This role allowed me to represent nursing at a higher level, influence the role of the RCN and speak out about the issues that mattered to nurses, and therefore, patient care. In 2019, I engaged in a contest for a place on RCN Council; a particularly prestigious role. Being involved in a Hustings with those who had put themselves forward was a nerve-wracking experience, but I did it and was successfully voted by RCN members onto Council in 2019, just before the pandemic hit. I soon realised however, travelling to London several times a year and ploughing through hours and hours of papers wasn’t what I wanted to do and so I resigned my position. I’m glad I did. There has been much controversy in recent years surrounding the RCN. I wouldn’t have wanted to be part of that. Also, if you work in the NHS as a member of Council you are given time to undertake your union duties, but as I didn’t, the time required was all my own.

Around the same time, I became chair of the Huddersfield branch of Parkinson’s UK. Parkinson’s is a particularly difficult to manage, neurological condition that according to Parkinson’s UK, affects around 145,000 people living in the UK. This role carried on throughout Covid, but eventually as things returned to normal I decided that living in Bridlington wasn’t conducive to continuing my role. And as there was someone ready and able to step into my role, the exchange was, I hope, swift.

I did a lot around this time. Becoming Chair of the Communications Committee and Webmaster for the Phi Mu (All England) Chapter of Sigma. It makes me smile, Catherine Best and Webmaster together in the same sentence. Never! But somehow it worked.

Through my academic role I have also been a member of the International Scientific Panel for the RCN International Nursing Research Conference, my role being to review abstracts and confirm suitability to present at conference.

I was also a member of the Scientific Committee of the 4th Biennial European Conference of Sigma, in a similar role and prior to this I was secretary of the West Yorkshire Occupational Health Nurses Group between 2016 and 2017 and sole author of the group Newsletter.

There are those who say why bother. It can be a challenge to juggle all these balls and keep them up in the air, but the reward comes from playing an active part in nursing, in healthcare and in the community. Not every role is recompensed. The recompense for me was knowing I had played a positive and significant part.

If there is one piece of advice I can give anyone thinking about volunteering, it’s this – consider your strengths and play to them. Volunteering can provide you with an opportunity to develop new skills, or it can simply be a great way to meet people of a similar ilk. So, why not take the plunge? What have you got to lose?

Before I end this chapter, I just want to share with you some of the amazing things that have been written about me throughout my nursing career, especially in my role as a nurse, mentor and volunteer. This is not my ego shining through, for nurses are required to access such feedback to meet revalidation requirements.

As a volunteer for the Major Incident Response Team based in Yorkshire.

‘Thank you for supporting the call, I really appreciate everything you do within the team. It feels like you have been with us forever, you fit so well’

A student nurse reflection

‘As a mentor Catherine is always interested in my opinion…through her passion and commitment she has inspired me to take the knowledge I have gained [with her], to my forthcoming placements and to my future career in the community’

A registered nurse reflection on my support as a specialist mentor

‘The input that Catherine put into my education was second to none… Catherine always gives so much in terms of her personal time, knowledge and expertise… She was, enthusiastic, encouraging, inspiring and supportive, all of which increased my levels of motivation and confidence in the subject [of occupational health] … Catherine helped me become the specialist practitioner I am today… I will always respect and admire her for her dedication to her students and the academic and nursing professions… Her level of commitment to her own personal development and that of others is truly inspiring… She has been a fantastic role model’.

In 2015, this registered nurse nominated me for a Golden Robe Award at Leeds Beckett University in the category of Motivator of the Year. I wasn’t awarded the title but that didn’t matter, what matters is that I do a good job and most importantly, this recognition comes from my peers.

Just this morning I received another lovely message from her.

‘You have had such a distinguished academic career you should be so proud. We need more nurse educators like you.’