Sam’s Story

“I’m disabled but that doesn’t stop me volunteering. You’ve got to get on with life, haven’t you?” 

Sam Ikin discusses the adaptations that have helped her volunteer with Longfield and why volunteering is so important to her.  

Volunteering has been an incredibly positive experience for me – life enhancing even. I’m a sociable person and need to be with people. I need to be out in the community and mixing with others. But that’s not always easy. I have cerebral palsy and I use an electric wheelchair. I’m also severely sight impaired. But that doesn’t stop me, you’ve got to get on with life, haven’t you? 

I also work with disabled students, showing them that you can work, even if you have a disability. You can do a combination of volunteer work and paid work. That’s what I do. 

I volunteer in Longfield’s charity shop in Up Hatherley, Cheltenham. My main job role is working on the till. I’m also trained in dealing with Gift Aid. I’ve learned a lot about retail and gained new skills through volunteering. I love being part of a team, and I love helping our customers.  

When I first started at the shop, I could walk a little bit better. I could stand at the till, but I can’t do that now.  Part of my condition, scoliosis of the spine, is slowly getting worse, hence the need for an electric wheelchair. The team has been really good at making changes so I can still volunteer. For example, they’ve made adaptations at the till to make sure that I can fit my wheelchair in. I’ve also got a stool next to me so I can reach stock that needs sorting, like books, DVDs, that kind of thing.  

The winter was awful, wasn’t it? It rained so much that I couldn’t get to the shop in my wheelchair without getting soaked. I managed to save up some of my Care hours, so my Carers were taking me to and from the shop by car. That meant my shift patterns had to fit in with my care hours. The managers at the shop said it was no trouble. They asked some of the other volunteers to work around my care patterns and we made it work. So hopefully next winter, if it’s as bad, we can do the same thing again, which means that I’m not stuck in the house for days on end. It’s that level of flexibility that makes Longfield so special. Nothing is too much trouble. 

I’d say to people with disabilities or added complications in their lives, try volunteering – just give it a go! Because actually the roles and shifts can be quite flexible. Tell the company what your constraints are and see if they can work with that. It’s worked for me.  

I think it’s good for you to volunteer to put something back into the community. I’ve found a good team within Longfield. I look forward to my time in the shop and being part of the team.