Volunteer Spotlight on... Claire!

Meet Claire, a dedicated individual whose passion for mental health advocacy and fitness intertwines with her deep-rooted connection to the local community. Having joined Healthy Minds in 2017, she has not only brought her professional background to the forefront, but also lived experience with anxiety and depression. Over the years, she's contributed to a range of projects, from Timeout to Walk Leading, and is now a crucial part of relaunching the Healthy Minds forum—a platform empowering the voices of Calderdale residents to inspire better mental health services.

Here's what Claire has to say:

"I first joined Healthy Minds in January 2017 looking to gain some work experience in mental health.  I had already achieved a 2:1 in my Social Psychology degree at the University of Huddersfield before completing Level 2 and 3 at Counselling.  I brought my own lived experience of anxiety and depression as I worked across a number of projects, namely Timeout and Walk Leading.  I am extremely passionate about mental health recovery, in particular the link to physical health.

Health and fitness has always played a big part in my life.  I played football for Huddersfield Town ladies between (1995-2007) and I am an avid Huddersfield Town fan (having held a season ticket since 1994).  I also started running in 2017 and have completed races at 5k, 10k, half marathon and most recently marathon.

Over the last eighteen months or so my main focus has been the relaunch of the Healthy Minds forum.  I am a member of the facilitating team that looks to give the people of Calderdale a voice and advocate change for better mental health services.  I have also previously planned and co-facilitated volunteer training (Induction, Timeout and Walk Leader) and I am currently engaging in Train The Trainer workshops to update these and deliver more soon.  Through this work my confidence is growing, so much so that I recently applied for a position as a trustee on the board.  I was over the moon to be successful at my interview and I am now at the start of another new chapter with Healthy Minds.  I look forward to playing my part in helping shape the future of such a fantastic charity.

Through my seven and a half years volunteering at Healthy Minds I feel I have grown massively as a person.  My biggest achievement to date is becoming a finalist at the Calderdale Community Spirit Awards for Volunteer of the Year in 2022.  I have a growing passion for helping others and would now like to find a career in mental health (following long-term disillusionment with my current Warehouse Team Leader role that I have held for nearly 20 years)."

Describe yourself in three words: 
Caring, loyal and hardworking.

What would your superpower be? 
Being able to fly (to avoid our unreliable public transport system).

Dislikes:
Liars and rude people.

Likes: 
Watching and playing sports (especially football), running.

Who inspires you? 
My running friends.

Favourite place: 
John Smiths Stadium (home to Huddersfield Town/Giants).
​
What’s the best thing about volunteering at Healthy Minds? 
​Being treated equally with staff (no hierarchy), very well respected and appreciated.  Also, a shared passion for helping others and a sense of achievement at contributing to making the world a better place for others.