Teen volunteer inspired by mum's cancer treatment

Sharon (left) and her daughter Alisha-Mai (right) stood side-by-side with their arms around each other. Sharon is wearing a grey sweatshirt with 'Boston' written on it in black letters, and Alisha-Mai is wearing a royal blue polo shirt with 'Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital' and 'Volunteer' written on it in white letters. They're stood in the garden of their home, with a dark green wooden fence behind them. The sky is grey and overcast. Image source, ELLEN KNIGHT/BBC
Image caption,

Alisha-Mai (right) said her mum Sharon's cancer treatment "inspired" her to volunteer for the NHS

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A teenager who spends her weekends volunteering for the NHS is urging other young people to give up their time to help others.

Alisha-Mai Stevens, 17, from Brookside, Telford, said she was inspired to "give back" after growing up watching her mum go through cancer treatment.

It comes as a YouGov survey, on behalf of charity Helpforce, found that a quarter of people in the West Midlands would consider volunteering for the NHS.

Volunteering "helps you in future employment and makes you a more confident , grateful person", Alisha-Mai said.

The Telford teenager is studying for her A-levels at Madeley Academy, but spends her weekends volunteering at the Princess Royal Hospital.

"A normal shift would be getting patients to and from their different wards, making sure that they're feeling comfortable, contacting their families, and making them drinks, food, anything that they need," she said.

Volunteering has even encouraged Alisha-Mai to pursue a career in healthcare.

"I do actually plan on going to university, hopefully next year," she said, adding that she would like to study psychology, with a focus on conditions like dementia.

Photo of hoarding for a building site at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. It's dark blue, with images of a hospital ward and a staff member to the left. On the right of the billboard, white writingreads: 'As we progress our plans, we want you to be part of our journey. Did you know? We have over 30 different volunteering roles in our hospitals. Find out how you can make a difference: www.sath.nhs.uk/volunteering.'Image source, ELLEN KNIGHT/BBC
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The NHS is advertising volunteer roles

Her mum, Sharon Durrance, has had breast cancer three times, as well as having a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) - also known as a "mini-stroke."

"My previous experiences with my mum's health did inspire me to volunteer," Alisha-Mai said.

"Every day, I help her and make sure she's got everything she needs, like medication - I [used to] go to chemotherapy with her too," she added.

Ms Durrance said she is "immensely proud" of her daughter.

"It's kind of double-edged, isn't it? Because you don't want her to have those experiences as a child," she said.

"But if it encourages her to do something helpful and worthwhile and give back in the future, then it's kind of worth it."

Ms Durrance said Alisha-Mai has seen first-hand the difference volunteers make in hospitals.

"Having a volunteer there to have a chat, make a cup of coffee, just have a little laugh and a joke - the difference that can make to somebody's day, you can't put a price on that at all," she said.

Julia pictured smiling and looking into the camera. She's wearing a cream quilted jacket with a white blouse underneath and a green and black silk scarf. She's stood in front of hospital buildings at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. The sky is blue and clear. Image source, ELLEN KNIGHT/BBC
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Julia Clarke said there is an NHS volunteering role "for everyone"

Julia Clarke, the Director of Public Participation for Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust said there are "so many different roles" for potential volunteers.

"Patients that have dementia, sometimes they may not have any visitors, so one of our dementia [volunteers] will go and spend time with them just talking to them," she said.

"We have mealtime buddies, we have end-of-life care volunteers, there is something for everyone."

"If people are interested, ring the hospital, ask for the volunteer team, come in and have a chat with us,"Ms Clarke added.

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