Celebrating Volunteers’ Week

Laura Dowswell, volunteering for the BBS UK charity

This week is Volunteers’ Week so Laura Dowswell, Head of Finance here at Helplines Partnership and volunteer with the BBS UK charity, is sharing her story.

I am very proud to be the Chair of the small but mighty BBS UK charity which is the only charity in the UK supporting those with the rare genetic syndrome BBS (Bardet-Biedl Syndrome).

My daughter was diagnosed with the syndrome in 2016, which came as a huge shock to us all. Thankfully, after a Google search, I found the charity and the phone number for advice and support. I phoned the same day, and despite what must have been my confused ramblings, the lady I spoke to was very calm and reassuring. She gave me just the right amount of information and didn’t overload me, telling me I could call back at any time.

I remember that day so well, what I was wearing, what the weather was like and how that lady made me feel. To this day am truly grateful to her.

Following diagnosis, some dark days/weeks and months followed, but they were eased knowing that the charity was there for us anytime that we needed them. We started to connect with other families and realised that we weren’t alone.

After our lives had returned to some sense of normality, or our new normal, I had the strong feeling that I wanted to help the charity and to ‘give back’ to help the charity continue to support families just like ours.

I read in a newsletter that they were recruiting for trustees, and I thought that would suit me with my skill set and something I would love to be involved in, so I applied and was successful.

I have been a trustee and Chair for almost five years, thoroughly enjoying the role. There have been many changes to the charity in that time as demand increases, but sadly, funding doesn’t increase in line, so we have faced many challenges.

Some weeks are far busier than others. For example, the annual conference, AGM and committee meetings, and recruitment generate a lot of activity, but other weeks are far quieter, with just emails to read and respond to.

I am fortunate that my fellow trustees are all very passionate about the charity as well, with most having direct or indirect lived experience of the syndrome, and we have an amazing, committed small staff team.

It helps me in my role at HLP as I get to experience being on the ‘other side of the table’, learning about governance and attending training courses.

I often think that being elected by the members to serve as a trustee and also as chair is a privilege – the keyword being trust.

I’m very happy, willing and able to volunteer and give my time to not only a deserving charity but one that really does make a difference to those who need it.