An Appley Bridge man is encouraging members of the community to volunteer at their local hospitals after landing his first job in the NHS.
Lewis Pugh has recently secured a theatre assistant job at Leigh Infirmary and says his time as a volunteer at Southport Hospital helped him get the start he was looking for.
The 21-year-old has been volunteering in the Emergency Department at Southport Hospital and says the experience has been invaluable in helping him make his career choice.
He said: “I’ve always been interested in working for the NHS and get great satisfaction in helping people but most of the jobs need experience and evidence and the volunteering gives you a unique chance to do that.
“Volunteering seemed the perfect opportunity to get that experience and get the assurance I needed to know that this would be the right career for me, and I have absolutely loved it.
“I now know so much more about how the NHS works and the skills you need to work in it and that really helped me build my CV.
“For example, I have learned so much about how to deal with patients of all ages and background at a time when they really need your support.
“If you are young and want a career in the NHS at some point then I would really encourage people to become a volunteer at their local hospital.’’
Volunteer manager Irene Gardner said: “Lewis has been an absolute pleasure to work with. He is very dedicated and incredibly professional, and I’m delighted that this has led to his first job in the NHS.’’
To find out more about volunteering at Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, please contact Irene on 01704 704796 or email irene.gardner@merseywestlancs.nhs.uk