Become an LHM support volunteer

Where would the Little Hearts Matter team be if we did not have the insight, care and enthusiasm of our volunteers?

There are many different opportunities to join the LHM team as a volunteer.

Service Volunteers – drawn from members, at every stage of their half a heart journey, this is an essential volunteering role. Offering personal insight, sharing their personal journey but mainly offering support and care to others following a similar journey.

Youth Mentors

Reader Panel – Taken from all groups our reader panel read through all our information to judge its understandability, flow and general appeal from a member perspective.

Ambassadors – members sharing their stories, speaking out on behalf of the charity and members’ needs. Through all media the voice of the charity is strengthened by the words of members who travel the half a heart journey.

Youth Voice – representing the younger members the youth group bring their voice to the charity.

Support Volunteers

The support of parent, grandparent, children, teenage and adult members sit at the very heart of the work of the charity.

When a member joins the charity, they are seeking a support that they are unable to find anywhere else.

They are in search of information, a greater understanding and most of all care and support from people who understand their journey.

Although the LHM team have travelled the path with many members and have collected knowledge and understanding  along that journey  they can never say they have lived with the challenges that having a child with half a heart brings.

It is so important to be able to offer members the special support that comes from other members, parents, grandparents and young members who have travelled the same journey.

There are a number of opportunities for members to become Service Volunteers.

Telephone support line

Parent Volunteers are there to offer:

• Parent to parent insight into life with Single Ventricle Hearts Disease.
• To offer a listening ear in times of stress and worry.
• They are able to offer a signposting service to other support or information services.
• Report/refer concerns about members worries to the main office team.

Social Media support services

Parent Volunteers are able to offer:

• Parent to parent experience.
• Signpost to other services and LHM information packs.
• Report concerns about members worries to the main office team.

Bereavement Support

Parent Volunteers are able to offer:

• Parent to Parent support and understanding around the loss of a child to CHD.
• Ongoing social media and telephone support.
• Bereavement representation and support at LHM events.
• Guidance on Bereavement publications.

Specialist one to one support

The LHM team like to offer ne to one special support especially on the case of a new diagnosis, transplant referral or perhaps a school or diet problem. There is so many skills in our parent group.

Are there any restrictions on who can become a Member Volunteer?

Any member can offer to explore the support service volunteer role.

The LHM Service team run volunteering training events where parents can chat to other volunteers and the LHM team to discover if the Support Volunteer role is a good fit for them.

Normally personal experience is a huge asset but the LHM team like to wait until a potential volunteer is at least two years from their own initial, often emotional, experiences before they train to become a volunteer supporter.

All volunteers are able to take a step back from their support role if their personal journey become challenging. For example – Their child is admitted for surgery, another family member is unwell or stressed or if the volunteer themselves needs a break from the support role.

What are the attributes LHM would be seeking?

• Being able to listen.
• Being able to support and care in a professional way.
• Signposting to specialist support.
• Being able to share personal experiences without dominating a conversation.
• Understanding when it is a good idea to seek support.
• The ability to cope with the emotion of members seeking support.

If you are interested in becoming a Parent Volunteer just give Suzie a ring on 0121 455 8982 or email her @ suzie@lhm.org.uk

Thank you.

Youth Support Volunteers

The support of children, teenage and adult members sit at the very heart of the work of the charity.

As our youth members grow older, they start to notice the differences between themselves and their peers, question their future and look for advice on how to manage their day to day lives with half a working heart.

They are in search of information, a greater understanding and most of all care and support from people who understand their journey.

Although the LHM team have travelled the path with many members and have collected knowledge and understanding along that journey they can never say they have lived with the challenges that living with half a heart brings.

It is so important to be able to offer members the special support that comes from young adult members that have travelled the same journey. Just being able to see the achievements and milestones others have made with a single ventricle heart can create confidence in an otherwise very daunting time.

There are a number of opportunities for members to become Youth Support Volunteers.

Youth Social Media Support Services

Youth Support volunteers are there to offer:

• Insight into life with single ventricle heart disease.
• To offer a listening ear in times of stress and worry.
• They are able to offer a signposting service to other support or information services.
• Report/refer concerns about members’ worries to the main office team.
• Ability to answer to queries on the open/closed youth pages as well as chat groups.

Youth Specialist one to one support

The LHM team like to offer one to one special support. Sometimes a young person can approach us wanting to talk to someone that understands. Being able to refer to a safe young adult that can impart knowledge, support and understanding at these times can really help alleviate feelings of isolation and sadness.

Are there any restrictions on who can become a Youth Support Volunteer?

We are looking for young adults that are living with a single ventricle heart or used to and have been the recipient of a heart transplant and are LHM members.

All Youth Support Volunteers must be aged 18 or above.

All Youth Event Volunteers must be able to fill out and provide an LHM enhanced DBS.

The LHM service team run volunteering training events where Adults with a SVHC can chat to other volunteers and the LHM team to discover if the Youth Support Volunteer role is a good fit for them.

As this role involves working with young people under 18 training with Lexie will be required.

Normally personal experience is a huge asset but the LHM team like to wait until a potential volunteer is at least two years from their own initial, often emotional, experiences before they train to become a volunteer supporter.

All volunteers are able to take a step back from their support role if their personal journey becomes challenging. For example, they become unwell, another family member is unwell or stressed or if the volunteer themselves needs a break from the support role.

Some of the attributes LHM would be seeking are:

• Being able to listen.
• Being able to provide support and encouragement.
• Being able to follow the LHM safeguarding protocol should an incident arise
• Being able to support and care in a professional way.
• Ability to signposting to specialist support.
• Being able to share personal experiences without dominating a conversation.
• Understanding when it is a good idea to seek support.
• The ability to cope with the emotions of members seeking support.

If you are interested in becoming a Youth Support Volunteer just give Lexie a ring on 0121 455 8982 or email her on lexie@lhm.org.uk

If you would like to get involved please contact us using the form below, thank you.