Today we’re celebrating our volunteer Clare Abdel-Basit. Clare has been working as a volunteer for TDC since January 2021 and her time with us got off to a dramatic starts as Clare, a former midwife, found herself as an advocate supporting a woman to give birth, 12 years after she last worked in a hospital.
Clare says, about the experience:
It was a great form of excitement and curiosity to me to have this opportunity. I was in a privileged position to be an advocate for the lady who was very much out of her comfort zone.
On her role at TDC, Clare says:
I volunteered with TDC as they advocate for the most vulnerable in the community, and I feel very strongly about equal treatment for all. I have learnt how the different sections of TDC support each other in various programmes. I have learnt the importance of community engagement and facilitating smaller vulnerable communities to become stronger and more active together.
The highlight of my volunteer work so far was linking some women together on zoom and discussing activities that they would like to get involved in and arranging these activities one of which involved meeting in a garden allotment.
With lockdown easing, this project has been able to move to face to face activities, including the visits to gardens the women requested. (Pictured above.)
Clare’s medical background also drew her to support some of TDC’s work on vaccine hesitancy, helping to create flyers and deliver them in communities where people are reluctant to get the vaccine.
Clare has been an amazing asset to TDC over the tricky months of the first part of 2021. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank her for all her amazing hard work, making a real difference for marginalised communities in Brighton and Hove.
Thank you, Clare. From all of us at TDC.
