Amina Chothia
I take every opportunity to give out as much information as I can to help others.
Meet our Volunteer Spotlight for October 2022, Amina Chothia
Amina lives in Batley in West Yorkshire. She applied to be an Event Volunteer with us in 2018 and has supported numerous events since, handing out Diabetes UK literature and raising awareness of diabetes locally.
Starting out as an event volunteer
Amina wanted to volunteer for Diabetes UK to help others after experiencing gestational diabetes during pregnancy with her two children and being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years later.
She balances her volunteering with working full time in mental health services. She often organises diabetes awareness stands through the connections she has made through her work.
Amina’s children are now aged 14 and 15 and she has brought them with her to support at events since they were young. Over the years, Amina has set up information stands at her local Tesco, community centre, GP surgeries, and the local hospital.
Sharing information in her community
Amina talks to people about a healthy diet and lifestyle including the importance of things like reducing the amount of oil and sugar in food. She gives suggestions like walking and taking the bus rather than using a car, or taking the grandchildren to the park for a few hours. “These are tiny things, but they can help”, Amina says.
“Volunteering means a lot to me. It’s about helping in the best way I can, and supporting people to make small changes to their lifestyle.”
At the free information stands, Amina gives out Diabetes UK leaflets in different languages. She says “I take every opportunity to give out as much information as I can to help others. The recipe books are the most popular!”
Amina speaks Urdu and Guajarati. She says that being able to speak three languages helps her to be able to talk to people from different communities that attend the events. She has also built up networks with many local organisations.
A standout moment for Amina was an event she helped to run at Tesco to raise awareness of the amount of sugar that can be found in soft drinks.
“We had cans and bottles of drink and then showed how many grams of sugar were in the drinks with bags of sugar on display. It really opened people’s eyes.”
Final thoughts
Amina says that the people she speaks to are always grateful when they go away from a stand with a pack of information. Their words of thanks make her feel very appreciated for the hard work and time she gives to her community. “Volunteering can be time-consuming, but it’s worth it.”
If Amina’s story has inspired you to get involved, take a look at our volunteering opportunities.
