03/07/2023

Executive Director Theresa Shares Her Inspiring Volunteer Work

Here at Sygma, we pride ourselves on our members of staff who have given back to their local community via volunteering, charity work and more. For three years, our Executive Director Theresa has volunteered as a Police Cadet Leader with Essex Police. She teaches cadets aged 13-18 about all things police, including laws, rights and drills. She has also organised events involving NPAS (Police Helicopter HQ), firearms unit and prison visits. The dog pictured is RPD Baloo who was injured whilst on duty and had to have a leg amputated, she now goes round to stations/events as a K9 wellbeing dog.

Since October last year Theresa has also been a Community First Responder for EEAST, which involves being on call and responding to life-threatening emergencies such as strokes, choking, cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis and heart attacks. Working approximately 75 hours per month across both volunteer roles after work and at the weekends, she is a credit to Sygma and the local community.

Theresa said: “Ever since my children were little and I became involved in their sports clubs I found it a better use of my time to be helping rather than sitting and watching. For many years I was a British Gymnastics Women’s Coach and Judge and volunteered my time at locals clubs during the weekends, following this period I utilised my skills in order to fundraise for a British Diving Club. More recently my work with Essex Police Cadets has been really enjoyable, some of the cadets have faced difficult childhoods and to see them grow in confidence and into well-rounded young people is very rewarding. My work with the ambulance service is a very humbling experience, I meet people and their families when they are at their most vulnerable, the skills required to keep a cool head during what is quite often a life-threatening situation whilst maintaining compassion at all times can be quite a difficult balancing act, but something I find very fulfilling. I would recommend volunteering to anyone that has the time, even a few hours a month can make such a huge difference to someone else’s life.”