Ella Perrin: From teenage volunteer to future Physician Associate

Ella’s first taste of volunteering came much earlier, at just 16 years old, when she volunteered at Hull Royal Infirmary in the stroke ward. “I was nervous every week,” she remembers. “At that age, I didn’t really get many responsibilities — it was more making coffees or chatting to people if they wanted. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t feel it gave me much to build on.” Still, the seed was planted.

When she reached university, Ella realised that to progress toward her dream of becoming a Physician Associate, she would need more meaningful clinical experience. “It’s not a strict requirement for the course, but they really want you to have something in a healthcare setting. I thought, I need to do more volunteering, and this time I want it to count.”

Through her university’s volunteering department, Ella spotted a role at Bradford District Care Trust: supporting staff in Wrose Baby Clinc in Bradford by weighing and measuring infants and providing information to parents. “I just applied straight away,” she says. “I knew this was the kind of experience I needed.”

From the beginning, Ella was well supported. She completed a volunteer to career course focused on healthcare applications and interviews, received safeguarding and safety training, and shadowed staff to build her skills. “The staff were brilliant,” she says. “Anything I wasn’t sure about, or if there was a skill I wanted to improve, they were always there to help.”

But even with training, the first weeks were daunting.

“Walking into that clinic for the first time, I had no idea what was going on. I was shy, nervous, and honestly wondered if I was cut out for it. But then, little by little, I started to grow.”

One of Ella’s proudest achievements has been building her confidence and communication skills.

“At the start, speaking to families was scary — I was worried I’d say the wrong thing. But Michelle, the volunteer coordinator, told me how much I’d improved. That meant so much, because I could feel it too. Now, I’m comfortable talking with parents, reassuring them, and working as part of the team.”

The feedback she received from families has been equally powerful. “Some parents told me that seeing me there every week made the clinic easier. They said it helped having a familiar face to talk to when everything else around them felt new. That’s been really nice — knowing I’ve genuinely helped.”

For Ella, volunteering hasn’t just been about personal growth; it’s also about making a real difference to how the NHS functions.

“There have been times when the clinic has been really busy, and staff have told me that if I wasn’t there, they’d probably have been stuck for another hour or more. It shows how volunteers aren’t just ‘nice to have’ — they’re helping services run more smoothly and making the whole process less stressful for families.”

After almost two years, Ella is now preparing to step away from her role as she begins her postgraduate course. “It’s my last clinic next week, and honestly, I’m really sad about it. The staff have been lovely and so supportive — I’m going to miss them.”

Her experience has left a lasting impact, not just on her but on those around her. Inspired by Ella’s example, her mum Allison also began volunteering, reading with children as part of her own university application. “It was nice,” Ella reflects, “to think I’d encouraged her the way she encouraged me.”

Looking ahead, Ella hopes to work as a Physician Associate in obstetrics, gynaecology, or paediatrics.

“Because of the baby clinic, I know I want to work with children and families. It confirmed for me that’s the right path. Before volunteering, I worried I’d be too anxious to do this kind of role, but now I know I can. I’ve proven it to myself.”

Her journey, from shy teenager to confident future healthcare professional, highlights the transformative power of volunteering — not just for the health service and the families supported, but for the volunteers themselves. As Ella puts it:

“It’s been an amazing experience. I’ll definitely come back to volunteering in the future, because the skills, the people, the feeling of making a difference — it all stays with you.”

Michelle Broady is the Children’s Services Volunteer Coordinator at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust and wanted to share her own thoughts about Ella's experience:

“All I can say is that it has been an absolute pleasure to work with Ella. She has been an outstanding volunteer and thoroughly deserving of the volunteer of the year award she was presented with at this year’s volunteer celebration event. She has become such a valued member of the clinic team and her commitment to volunteering is second to none.

The baby clinic role was a perfect fit for Ella as it enabled her to gain experience in a clinical setting, working directly with patients in a hands-on role. The role has enabled her to develop her skills in speaking and listening to service users, also the experience of being part of a clinical team. As her volunteer coordinator the best part about working with Ella has been seeing the transformation in her. You can teach the practical skills but perhaps more valuable is the personal journey, to watch how Ella has grown in confidence during her time volunteering has been amazing. I can’t wait to see what the future holds as she starts in the next chapter on her career journey.”

Inspired by tens and thousands of volunteers like Ella, who wish to volunteer for the NHS to give back, Helpforce has launched a three-year campaign 'Giving Back, Transforming Care' to inspire national conversations, foster deeper public engagement, and shift perceptions of healthcare volunteering from a 'nice to have' to a strategic imperative. Learn more about this ambitious campaign here.