Get to know our volunteers: Emma

Last year, our volunteers visited over 3,500 health and care services to see if they work for people. Find out more about the work our volunteers do in their local communities.

Emma’s story

Emma Amez has been volunteering with Healthwatch Cambridgeshire for the past year.

What inspired you to become a volunteer for Healthwatch Cambridgeshire?

Having been a Registered General Nurse in the past, I wanted to feel I was making a difference to improving health and social care services. I believe that the only way forward is to involve the public in decisions about healthcare services.

What kind of things do you get involved with?

My role as an outreach worker means that I attend events to try to gain feedback about people’s experiences of health and social care - both good and bad.

The aim being, to feed this information back to the providers of care to improve the service they offer. This is, in fact, a very privileged role. People give their stories and experiences in good faith knowing that we are trying to make services better for everyone. Each story or experience could make a change for the better!

I feel I am making a difference by either being a voice for people or helping them to find their own voices.

What kind of people do you work with?

For me, volunteering for Healthwatch has been a very positive experience. Straight away, I could see that the team are hardworking and focused on what they are doing.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about becoming a volunteer?

I would sincerely recommend volunteering for your local Healthwatch. You would be working with a great, motivated, hardworking and supportive team. In return, you would be helping us all to improve the health and social care system which we will all need one day.

Along the way, you will meet new people, you may make new friends, improve your skills, maybe follow a new career path, help the community and of course, you will be doing something very worthwhile. After all, health matters to each and everyone one of us!