Vikki has been volunteering with us at the Centre for a couple of years. She first met Polly and Caroline when she got involved with the 5K Your Way initiative in Tunbridge Wells as a ‘walking ambassador’.
“Polly had encouraged Dame Kelly Holmes to come along as well, which was great,” says Vikki. “I didn’t know anything about Pickering, so was interested to find out more. I popped in one day for a ‘show round’ and was astounded to discover that this little house in Tunbridge Wells offered so much to people with cancer, including so many therapies.”
“I had begun my own cancer ‘journey’ back in 2019, so I understood the ‘fear’ that accompanies a diagnosis. It’s a feeling that never really goes away and I still feel frightened when check-ups come along.”
Vikki further explains that having suffered the death of one of her children, this had given her further empathy.
“The environment here at Pickering is fantastic and it helps our visitors to be with people who truly understand how they are feeling and there’s always somebody here to lean on. Having said that, Pickering is about living and many of our chats are simply about normal everyday life – holidays, kids and the best place to get your nails done!”
“Coming here, I feel that I’m giving something back and the other volunteers are all just wonderful people; it’s a pleasure to be involved.”
Soon after she started volunteering, Vikki joined a number of other volunteers on a ‘listening course’ at the Centre.
“Listening is a real skill and this brilliant lady came down from London to share her knowledge with us,” Vikki explains. “Part of the listening process is knowing when to simply listen but then understanding when to say something.”
Vikki, a retired teacher, is on our bank of volunteers and typically comes in once or twice a week.
“When I first put myself forward as a volunteer, I wondered if I’d be ‘good enough’ but it was never daunting, as Pickering offers such a loving, caring environment for us all. My time now is quite flexible and I like the opportunity to come in on different days and meet different people. If I do see some of the same visitors, I like to remember something about them, because I think that helps to make them feel a bit special.”
“I don’t think you can underestimate how brave somebody has to be to ring our doorbell that first time,” she says. “Our visitors can come in quite distraught and unsure – but we can hopefully help them find a way forward. And this is a safe environment to do that.