Volunteering with HARP - Leigh-on-Sea

Share this story!

Leigh On Sea News: Volunteering with HARP – AS National Volunteers Week shines a light on the power of giving back

Volunteering with HARP - AS National Volunteers Week shines a light on the power of giving back

AS National Volunteers Week shines a light on the power of giving back, HARP, Southend’s leading homelessness charity, is celebrating one of its longest serving volunteers, Patsy, whose 20-year journey from protestor to changemaker perfectly illustrates the life changing impact of volunteering.

Once a familiar face at Southend’s “Camp Bling” protest, a grassroots movement that stood against a road widening scheme threatening Priory Park’s green space and 111 trees, Patsy is no stranger to standing up for what’s right.

These days, she channels that same passion into a more personal mission: making life better for people experiencing homelessness.

“I was in the High Street feeling a bit sorry for myself,” Patsy recalls. “I looked around and decided that the person sat next to me looked a lot sorrier and wasn’t particularly well dressed, and I was.

So, I pretended to drop my hat on the floor and he picked it up for me. So we got a conversation off the ground… I said are there any places to go where you can get the help you need? He mentioned HARP. So, within a couple of days, I turned up and said, ‘Can I be a volunteer?’ Simple as that.”

From that chance meeting came a decades long commitment. “How high can you jump?” was the response Patsy got when she offered her time and she’s never looked back.

Her very first shift involved helping with Christmas dinner and wading through “an avalanche” of donated clothes. Since then, she’s worn many hats, but her ability to connect with people has always been at the heart of her volunteering.

“It’s been quite life changing, actually,” she said. “I think I’ve been able to point a lot of people in the right direction and boost their confidence, which is vital if they’re going to recover from whatever life threw at them.”

Patsy’s approach is all about restoring dignity, and it starts with a clean outfit and a kind word.

“I take great pride in making sure that people have got nice clothes and nice things. I say, ‘This is going to look good on you,’ or ‘You’ve got a figure like a teenager. How old are you?’ Even if I know they’re probably 60! I’m always trying to work on making them feel good.”

But it’s not just about clothes. Patsy and her long-time volunteering partner, Julia, bring humour, empathy, and a listening ear to everyone who walks through HARP’s doors.

“We laugh at the sad times because there are lots of sad times as well… You get bad news, someone you’ve been trying to help for years is not here anymore. So, we talk, a bit of black humour, we’re quite adaptable… Everyone needs help with their confidence. We all need it. You need to know who you are and where you stand in life and you get that feedback from other people.”

For many HARP clients, Patsy is the first person in a long time to truly listen without judgment.

“A lot of people desperately need to be listened to. They’re going through the system, being asked name and address, but no one is really interested. So, we show interest. We’re very good at showing interest… I’m always aware that I could be the person standing there and they could be standing where I am, trying to help me.”

Outside of HARP, Patsy continues her caring work as a self-employed chiropodist, running her mobile foot clinic Sole Concern. “I think the people whose feet I’m treating are like the people at HARP. I’m always trying to make them feel better. I end up making them a cup of tea, I’m a bit like a social worker!”

She also paints, attends pub quizzes, and maintains a busy life full of creativity and community. But volunteering remains one of the most rewarding parts of her life.

“I just love being with the good company. The company I have is fantastic. I come here for the laughs, for the company, the satisfaction I get out of seeing people, when they walk away. When you’ve kitted them out from head to foot… that is the highlight of my day.

“Seeing how they are standing different, smiling, and seeing that I have given them that bit more confidence. When they walk out that door, they’ve got a better chance of getting on in life.”

As for the future, Patsy’s not going anywhere.

“I think I’ll continue to volunteer until I’m unable for any reason and when I get too old and I can’t get up those steps at the front, I’ll get someone to help me up! I can’t believe I’ve been here 20 years, but I’ll continue until I can’t do it anymore.”

Patsy is a shining example of how volunteering changes lives, not just for those receiving support, but for the volunteers themselves and the wider community.

As she puts it: “I love coming to HARP.”

Picture: Patsy

about author

Editor