News
Volunteers Week 2024
Volunteers' Week celebrates the amazing contributions volunteers make to communities across the UK.
The celebration starts on the first Monday in June every year. It’s a chance to recognise, celebrate and thank the UK’s incredible volunteers for all they contribute to our local communities, the voluntary sector, and society as a whole.
The AAPT, as a small professional body, is dependent on volunteers to achieve our aims & objectives and to deliver the AAPT Strategy 2021-2025
A key volunteer for the AAPT, is the Education and Training Lead, Emma Romeling FAAPT.
Emma works tirelessly to ensure that the student APTs are allocated an AAPT trained assessor for the practical component of the RSPH Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Science (Anatomical Pathology Technology).
The AAPT Secretary, Christian Burt, asked Emma a few questions about her volunteering experience.
Christian: As the Education & Training lead for the AAPT, you also assess the practical component of the Level 3 students. Tell us a little about the on-site visits and relationship with the mortuary being visited?
Emma: I always try to put the trainees at ease prior to my visit and sometimes I am just as nervous as they are! I am visiting their ‘work home’ which is alien to me and I am going into their environment which is all strange to me.
Fortunately, I have always been made very welcome and always been thanked for putting the trainee at ease whilst they are demonstrating their skills to me. It’s their time to shine.
Volunteering - how do you balance volunteering, the day job and home life?
It can be difficult at times to balance, obviously I prioritise my day job. To enable me to do this role I take my assessing days as annual leave from my day job and spend my evenings going through the portfolios so that it does not encroach on my work life.
Fortunately, I have a very understanding husband and he knows that I am very passionate about the trainees and the importance of their development.
What is the most rewarding part of being a volunteer for the AAPT?
I have been an assessor for the L3 trainees since the introduction of the qualification and I feel it is a great honour and to be part of the trainee’s journey to gaining their qualification.
What I have found really lovely is that I have kept in touch with most of the APT’s that I have assessed and seen them grow and develop in their careers and also been part of their support network if they have wanted any help or advice.
How can AAPT attract more volunteers and what is your advice for those thinking of helping their profession?
It is so rewarding seeing those that are our future AAPT world and the more volunteers we have the less pressure on the current pool.
It is a pleasure to visit other mortuaries and network with the wider field of APT colleagues that you may never meet if not an assessor.
The AAPT have clear guidance as to the experience required to start your assessor journey and the assessor network is there to support one another. Please do help the AAPT support the APTs of the future!