Volunteering can help save lives!

Our volunteers help with carrying out surveys, at information events and in many other ways.

Meet Raj

Raj Nair from Heaton is one of our volunteers. He’s a teacher with a passion for healthcare and helps people learn about the dangers of stroke and the warning signs and symptoms.

Raj previously worked for the NHS. He's interested in health and sharing his knowledge and has a particular interest in strokes. Raj became an advocate after taking a speech language course and helps people who have had a stroke with their social justice rights.

“I’m really interested in health and improving matters for people in the North East and being a Healthwatch volunteer allows me to do this. I particularly enjoy giving talks about stroke awareness to other community groups. I hope that perhaps one day my advice will help save a life”.

Can you recognise the main stroke symptoms?

The main stroke symptoms can be remembered with the word FAST:

Face – the face may have dropped on one side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have drooped.
Arms – the person may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in one arm.
Speech – their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake; they may also have problems understanding what you're saying to them.
Time – it's time to dial 999 immediately if you notice any of these signs or symptoms.
(source: NHS)

Healthwatch Newcastle Chief Executive Siobhan O’Neil, said: “Volunteers like Raj do a wonderful job helping us to serve our community. They listen to local people to find out if services are working for them. Volunteers support us in many ways and play an important role at Healthwatch.”

Join us!

Interested in volunteering? Find out more here