Fancy adding your name to this list? Head to our ‘Volunteer‘ page and see updates for volunteers and how to register.
Lynne Keady – Enter and View Authorised Representative
I worked in the Civil Service for 34 years until 2007. Since then, I have undertaken care and support work with older and disabled clients and also a hospital ward clerk role.
Since I retired from paid employment, I have been a volunteer with a number of local community service organisations – including South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (Mental Health Services) and several voluntary sector providers – with these roles including befriending activities and volunteering with young people with intellectual disabilities, in relation to travel training.
I have been a Healthwatch volunteer team member since 2014 and I always welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with our local health and social care providers – in order to facilitate the identification and sharing of benchmark best practice whilst also highlighting instances where services could be improved – together with ideas relating to how that might be achieved. I feel that it is important to enable members of our local community to make a positive contribution as regards supporting local providers to aspire to the delivery of excellence by ensuring that services are the best that they can be with the resources that are available.
Lisa Hodgson – Enter and View Authorised Representative
I have been a Healthwatch Kirklees volunteer since 2014 and still find this hugely rewarding. Despite my busy paid role with the local authority, and my unpaid role as a carer, I continue to fit my volunteer work in as much as I can, when I can, because I see how much of a difference it can make. I became a volunteer to support local people to have a voice and share their experiences and I’m still really passionate about giving people the opportunity to do this. I also wanted to share my knowledge and skills (and learn some new ones) as well as help to share good practice and make improvements to services. When I first started, I was supporting the Enter and View visits, but as time has progressed I’ve also been involved in a variety of projects and pieces of work – all of which have been interesting; thought-provoking and enjoyable and given me the chance to meet a wide range of people and professionals.
Frank Reddington – Enter and View Authorised Representative
I am a retired Social Worker where I worked with children preparing to leave local authority care. I am now a volunteer for a number of different organisations
providing support to vulnerable people in Kirklees. I am also the Chair and a coach at my local athletics club.
For me Healthwatch is an opportunity to use my experience to influence the way that the systems in the health service work. It is a chance to enable the health and care services to continue to be accessible and understanding of changing individual’s needs.
Andrew Hare – Enter and View Authorised Representative
I recently retired after a long career in social care, working in several different roles including social worker and commissioner.
I have been a volunteer for Healthwatch since last year and have taken on roles in outreach sessions and Enter and View visits.
I have lived in Scissett for a few years but am originally from Hartlepool in the north east.
Bob Morse – Enter and View Authorised Representative
Hi I’m Bob! Not sure why! Born at an early age and still amazed by life and what it throws up.
I am attempting to live a life less seriously, sharing the secrets of my mistakes and bloopers to those who need to hear and who might avoid at least some pitfalls. I really do try to not take myself too seriously. I have been around the metaphorical block and know where the bumps are.
Charity co-founder, peer support leader, recovery champion and loads of other stuff. I have lived several lifetimes and still cannot believe I have survived to tell the tale. So now, retired I volunteer and attempt to help where I can! Particularly involved and interested in people, mental health, fairness and equality, wellbeing and laughter! And more laughter! Advocate, talker and ally. Reader, football fan and so on and on!!!
Lucy Worne – Enter and View Authorised Representative
I became a volunteer in December 2024. I work full time in the pharmaceutical industry and the exposure to the health issues that communities face motivated me to give back in my local area. I currently volunteer with any Project research/administrative tasks and I am looking forward to contributing long term. I truly believe in the power of feedback to improve the standards of care for all.
Denise Collinson – Enter and View Authorised Representative
Hi, Denise here
I have worked a variety of roles during my lifetime and finally retired in 2020. I am not one for sitting around doing nothing, so I started volunteering for the NHS on the wards then in the Café at Dewsbury Hospital, where I have been for the last 2 years. I am also a Patient Safety Partner for the NHS and have been involved in various projects along the way. I am a member of the local Women’s Institute as well as the Book Club.
I love sewing my own clothes and introduced myself to the art of bag making. I am in the process of exploring Sashiko (a form of Japanese style stitching) and I think I have almost mastered making the perfect sourdough loaf.
I regularly attend yoga and pilates classes, enjoy walking and travelling.
I joined Healthwatch in 2025, so I am relatively new to the role and looking forward to meeting everyone who is involved.
Sheran – Admin and Data Entry
I have been volunteering for Healthwatch for just over 5 years – the time has flown by!
I found that I had time to do something and wanted to volunteer somewhere. When I saw the advert for Healthwatch I knew it was just what I was looking for. I am very happy ‘behind the scenes’ and didn’t feel I was best suited to face to face with service users. I felt the position matched my skills.
My ‘work’ has evolved over my time – I started helping with Advocacy and it has morphed into more of an admin role, which I am very happy with. I am made to feel part of the team and that my work is valued. The work HW does is very important and I’d like to think I contribute to enabling the permanent staff to concentrate on what matters and not get bogged down with too much paperwork etc.
I have enjoyed interviewing, data input, feedback on proposed website information, and voice overs amongst many other things. I am happy to help out where I can.
Alex – Community Engagement and Outreach Volunteer
I’m Alex and I joined Healthwatch Calderdale in 2023.
I initially joined as an online feedback collector to volunteer from home, but my interest in getting involved in talking to people in my local community made me decide to change roles to community engagement and outreach volunteer which is the face-to-face role I do today. I also help in both Kirklees and Calderdale area now so it keeps me busy. I started volunteering to meet new people and learn new skills but I realised quickly as well as these skills I wanted to get out of the house and keep active. I like to help people and enjoy talking to them at outreach sessions, and hearing their views about health and social care services used. When I spoke to the team at Healthwatch about volunteering I felt comfortable and felt it was a good place to start my volunteering journey.
Shania – Online Feedback Collector
I joined Healthwatch Kirklees in 2020 as an online feedback collector. This role has allowed me to manage many different tasks such as obtaining information that health and social care services can use to improve their services and therefore provide the best quality of care needed. In doing so, I have enhanced my analytical and communication skills by working with a range of diverse individuals and listening to their opinions and effective suggestions. Now as a micro volunteer, my input is more directed towards proofreading and editing different reports and surveys for different services. Healthwatch Kirklees is a very supportive and welcoming community that I love being a part of as it encourages every generation, every community and every background to get involved and be heard as a means to improve the services in and around their local community, which is very important to me.
Amaya – Online Feedback Collector/Community Engagement
I’m currently a first year sixth form student, studying my a levels whilst trying to build my work experience. I’ve been a volunteer with Healthwatch since November 2024; supporting the team with data analysis, website reviews and promoting outreach. I also volunteer at a local primary school, working with young children to support them in their reading and writing and building their academic confidence. I hope to continue volunteering with Healthwatch as I enjoy supporting the team through making a difference.
Suchi – Online Feedback Collector
I joined Healthwatch Kirklees as an international student and volunteer last year, starting as an online feedback collector. This role has given me the opportunity to support the team by helping gather and review feedback that health and social care services can use to understand people’s experiences and improve the quality of care they provide. Through this work, I have developed my analytical and communication skills by engaging with a wider range of perspectives and listening carefully to people’s views and suggestions.
Being involved as a volunteer has helped me better understand how the UK health and social care system works and how important feedback is in shaping services. I enjoy contributing behind the scenes and supporting projects such as reviewing information and documents to ensure they are clear and accessible. Healthwatch Kirklees is a welcoming and supportive organisation, and I value being part of a team that encourages people from all backgrounds to share their voices in order to help improve services within the local community.