Lisa Hannibal | Volunteer Support Officer
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What is my role?
I am the Tameside Volunteer Support Officer. I am the lead for Tameside’s volunteer brokerage service. I work with all of Tameside’s charities and community groups and support them with the recruitment of their volunteers and everything that is part of that process. I also work with people that live in Tameside that want to become a volunteer and support them to choose a volunteer role that they will love and that they will get the most from.
What most excites me about this role?
I love my job and I can’t imagine doing any other! Seeing the difference volunteering makes inspires and motivates me every single day. Over the last few years, we have seen some big changes to the way we work and how we connect with local people. These changes have been really positive and have meant that we can reach more people than ever before. I’m excited to see what the future of volunteering in Tameside looks like and how we can continue to develop our service to meet with current trends and the needs of the borough.
During the pandemic, the number of people that registered to volunteer in order to help people in need was off the charts. We have seen the same every year when we run the Tameside Toy Appeal too. Countless people coming forward, wanting to help others. It’s very humbling and I feel privileged to be a part of it all.
I have been working with lots of businesses, that want to volunteer their time in Tameside. We have been able to make some fantastic links between businesses and our groups and charities, and some incredible work has already been carried out. I’m excited to see how we can develop our Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) offer even further. As well as strengthening my relationships with the businesses I am currently working with.
What drew me to work at Action Together?
My journey with this organisation began almost 15 years ago when I started volunteering with what was then know as T3SC, Volunteer Centre Tameside, and Voluntary Action Oldham. I also volunteered with Tameside Council’s Right to Read Scheme, The Tameside Reporter, The Saddleworth Independent, The Shaw and Crompton Eye, and Stalybridge Magazine. What can I say? I got the bug and enjoyed volunteering so much, I just wanted to do more and more of it. It was whilst volunteering that I realised that working within the voluntary sector was where I wanted to be. When a paid position became available with T3SC I jumped at the chance to be part of such an incredible organisation. A few years later, the position of Volunteer Support Officer opened. It was meant to be. I’m very passionate about volunteering, the difference it makes and how it can change people’s lives having done so much volunteering myself. I love that I am on the other side of the table now and that I get to be a part of so many people’s volunteer journeys.
My hopes for Tameside are...
My hope for Tameside is that it becomes an even better place to live, work, study, and volunteer. Ideally, I would like to see more people volunteering. I believe it is something that everyone should get involved in, even if it’s a one off. It makes such a huge impact and the benefits for our communities can be massive. I want to be able to reach even more people living in Tameside and inspire them to become volunteers. I want to tackle the current barriers into volunteering, making our service even more accessible, to as many people as possible. Volunteer opportunities should be open to everyone, and I want to work with all of Tameside’s groups to ensure that is happening across the board.