What is the People Bank?
The People Bank is a group of volunteers working with East Sussex County Council. Members share their knowledge and lived experience to help influence the way that social care for adults is provided in East Sussex.
Being a People Bank volunteer makes a difference to others but also offers opportunities to connect with new people, develop new skills and grow your confidence.
The People Bank is made up of a diverse range of members, each with their own experiences and knowledge when it comes to volunteering.
Sarah’s story of joining the People Bank
We’d like to share the story of one long-standing member who has been volunteering in various ways since childhood and joined the People Bank in 2012.
Despite already volunteering for the fire service and a local mental health charity at the time, Sarah was actively looking for more ways to help when she came across the People Bank. She particularly wanted to make a difference for people drawing on care and support and says of the People Bank “I’ve found my niche here”.
Growing up with parents who were always volunteering, Sarah was “raised to be a volunteer”. She started out helping neighbours and litter picking, and soon progressed into volunteering in the police cadets. This was followed by time as a special constable, and later, in America, as an on-call paramedic.
After returning to the UK Sarah was in an accident, and since then she’s been using a wheelchair for mobility. When looking for volunteering roles that worked for her, Sarah found an opportunity at East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. She says this involves doing “just about everything apart from rescuing people from vehicles and going to fires”, as well as being a fire cadet leader. She continues to do this 14 years later.
Keen to do even more for others, Sarah then began volunteering for the mental health charity Recovery Partners, and through this found the People Bank.
Sarah wasn’t sure what to expect when joining the People Bank but came in with an open mind and got stuck in quickly. One of the first activities Sarah has fond memories of is supporting work focused on people using wheelchairs, which was close to her heart. It was also a chance to connect with those who had similar experiences to herself.
Since then, Sarah has been involved in a wide range of activities, such as the Reward and Recognition project group, the Adult Social Care strategy group, and becoming a member of the Adult Social Care Citizens’ Panel. She values the ability to pick and choose which activities she will take part in with the People Bank and being able to decline those that don’t work for her at the time.
Every member has their unique strengths, and Sarah feels her communication skills are the quality she brings to the People Bank. This allows her to effectively explain how she and people drawing on services like her may feel, and how they would be affected by a decision.
Sarah feels she’s gained something from joining the People Bank too. She’s established good friendships with other members and finds the work enjoyable.
Most importantly Sarah feels that members of the People Bank are treated as an equal by staff at East Sussex County Council and aren’t spoken down to or viewed as a “service user”. For Sarah this makes the membership feel inclusive and that her work is respected.
Sarah added that volunteering isn’t about making huge changes overnight, but making small improvements with each activity you do, which, together with other volunteers’ contributions, adds up to big change in the long term.
How to join the People Bank
If you live in or locally to East Sussex, and you’ve got lived experience of getting support from social care, or care for someone who has, then you can add your voice to the mix of people helping to shape adult social care services.
Visit the People Bank web pages to find out how to become a member, and to hear more from existing People Bank volunteers: What is the People Bank.