Meet Connect volunteers

Lucy Maran

I first contacted Connect when I was looking for voluntary work some time ago. I want to train as a Speech and Language Therapist and I needed to gain some experience to support my application. Fortunately, Connect were the first organisation to get back to me. I have been volunteering with Connect for nearly six months now and I feel like part of a big family.

First of all, Connect asked me to come in for a day's training. The day was hugely informative about aphasia and the impact it can have on your life. The training gave me lots of advice on how to use different methods of communication to have a successful conversation. At the end of the day two people with aphasia were sent to test out our newly acquired knowledge. They gave us feedback on whether the conversation was interesting, whether it was equal, if it flowed, if it moved on sufficiently, if we used pen and paper to write down key words or test our artistic skills with pictures, our use of gesture… the list goes on. Thankfully, I was accepted to volunteer and Connect and have since been part of the Tuesday Conversation Group (part of one of the many projects at Connect).

Every Tuesday morning we meet to converse about a different topic. We split in to three groups. Each one is led by a person with aphasia whose job it is to make sure everyone has some space and time to partake in the conversation and that it doesn't go wildly off topic - and to edge it forwards if it gets stuck. I'm there to keep a log of the four or five main points that really got people going, this is for feedback when the groups reconvene, and if necessary to help with clarification when getting the message in or out. One enjoyable aspect of the job is hearing about other people's interesting lives. In the afternoon I work in the publications department, usually helping to log all the many orders for Connect publications and helping to package and despatch them too.

My Tuesdays at Connect remind me of travelling in terms of making friends that you would never come into contact with if you didn't travel. The conversation group is quite diverse in all respects: age, nationality and certainly character but everyone has their place, everyone is friends. I certainly feel incredibly privileged to be a part of it.

My week is comprised of waitressing in a busy central London restaurant, teaching English as a foreign language and volunteering at Connect. For the next few weeks it also involves a course at Connect which is looking at ways to run a successful group for people with aphasia. Without doubt my time at Connect is the highlight of my week, every week. I even enjoy the admin work (which was all new to me) and it is a really important part of the work that I do for Connect.

My application to university has been successful. This is most upsetting as it means I will have to leave Connect quite soon - but I will always keep in touch and when there is time in my life to give to Connect, I will.

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