I live in Lexden with my husband and our dog, Primrose, a Jack Russell.

After a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer, my dearest dad died in August this year, passing away peacefully in the garden of St Helena hospice. After my dad’s death, I wanted to pay back my thanks to St Helena for the incredible way they had cared for him by volunteering my time.

I was introduced to the Compassionate Communities scheme and jumped at the opportunity to get involved. Compassionate Communities provides support to others through some of life’s most challenging moments. Whether it’s lending a hand to a neighbour, helping someone affected by a bereavement or just being there for someone who’s feeling isolated and lonely, it provides the opportunity for such a positive impact. It’s all about bringing people together – individuals, schools, businesses and groups – to improve the wellbeing of everyone in the local community.

On a day-to-day level, being a Compassionate Community Ambassador simply involves shifting your mindset to being more compassionate to others. It’s about making others aware of this concept too, spreading the word of Compassionate Communities and encouraging others to join in.

As an ambassador you can bring your own professional skills in a voluntary way. I’ve been helping out with communications for Compassionate Communities, but there are so many ways to get involved, and everyone can make a difference.