THE ZONE

SAMPLE
THE COMPANY EDIT
“ I appreciate my job
so much more. ”
I V O L U N T E E R E D F O R
T H E N H S W H I L E I
WAS FURLOUGHED
John Smith, 35, who works in the sales
team, found that volunteering for the
NHS was unexpectedly beneficial for
his mental health.
WHY WE DO IT... “Telling stories is one of the
most powerful means that leaders have to
influence, teach and inspire... Storytelling
forges connections among people, and
between people and ideas. Stories convey
the culture, history and values that unite
people. When it comes to our countries,
our communities, and our families, we
understand intuitively that the stories we
hold in common are an important part of
the ties that bind.” – Vanessa Boris writing
in Harvard Business Publishing, Corporate
Learning, harvardbusiness.org.
I didn’t realise how self-centred I’d become. I’m not saying I was
selfish or self-obsessed, but I really didn’t look beyond work,
my family and football. And I was often feeling depressed and have always
struggled with stress and anxiety. I was in a rut. Volunteering for the NHS
in lockdown has changed me for good, and for the better.
I signed up back in March and, at first, didn’t hear anything. Then I
received a buzz on the volunteer app on my phone and was asked to do
some driving, dropping off prescriptions to people in the community who
couldn’t get out of their houses.
As someone who gets the 6:57 am train to London and comes home at
7:30 pm every day in the week, I had no idea who lived in my community.
My first client was Henry, an 88-year-old World War II veteran. His wife
died 10 years ago and, until recently, he was completely independent. But
in January he had a mild stroke and, for the first time in his life, he had to
depend on others.
Henry reminded me how important it is to have a positive outlook. He
helped me see that there was a simple explanation for my negative thought
patterns and depression. He’d learned very early on how important it was
to feel connected to his friends. I'd become isolated, and Henry pointed out
I just needed to make an effort to meet friends and avoid social media.
This simple change made such a difference to me. I re-joined my local
five-aside football team and renewed old friendships. At first we couldn’t
train together, but soon we were able to meet in the park and do some
training. The act of being sociable and active has woken me up, and I’m
finding work so much more fulfilling and less draining. When
we get back to the office, I’ll be organising football training after
work. Make sure you get in touch and we’ll get started.
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