Here at Tenovus Cancer Care, we provide our colleagues with a range of benefits, including taking time out of their day job to volunteer in another team within the charity. We encourage a collaborative and supportive working environment, and this is one of the many ways we do this.
Our HR Manager, Nadine Lock, recently swapped our head office in central Cardiff for our Mobile Support Unit, which is currently located in Nantgarw. Here’s what she had to say about her experience.
“It’s a real privilege to work for Tenovus Cancer Care because not only can I make a difference in my day job, but I also get the chance to make a difference through staff volunteering too. It’s a great way to see your organisation better, it helps you get to know and work better with other teams and makes you better in your own role through the experience and the skills and knowledge you’ve gained.
While I’ve been here at Tenovus Cancer Care I’ve taken time away from my day-to-day work and volunteered in our shops, and at fundraising events and I’m planning to get involved with our Policy & Insight teams next. It’s a fantastic staff benefit we really encourage here. It’s helped me not only get to know my colleagues better but also really see and understand our work’s impact through meeting lots of people.
For my latest bit of staff volunteering, I’ve been spending time on our Mobile Support Unit as a Welcome Host. I really enjoyed it because I got to meet our service users first hand. Although I was only making cups of tea and checking people in at reception, it was lovely to see how these little acts made a difference for everyone who came on board.
It was really rewarding to know I helped make someone feel that little bit less apprehensive when they arrive for their cancer treatment by giving them a warm welcome, having a chat and waving them off for the day knowing they were looked after so well by the Mobile Support Team. It wasn’t just the people coming for treatment I could help but their loved ones too.
Talking about our other services, like our Sing with Us choirs, Benefits Advice & Counselling services and different volunteering opportunities meant I could have a hand in helping more people than I would have otherwise. So, it was time well spent away from my usual day job.
It was great to see the Mobile Support Units up close and personal. It really is a mammoth effort for our fundraising and Mobile Support Officer teams to keep them on the road up and down Wales so they can get to hundreds of people every month.
I’d say if you were looking to work with US at Tenovus Cancer Care it’s more than just a job. It’s a great experience with fantastic team and development opportunities where you can get lots of different and rewarding experiences just by getting involved in lots of different things you might not have the chance to do otherwise.”
