Volunteer stories: Kelly

Kelly joined ERIC in 2025 as one of our Potty Training Heroes, which is a peer-to-peer online support scheme for parents and carers. She volunteers her time each week offering reassurance to those who are struggling with potty training their children and signposting them to advice.

I was first referred to ERIC by a continence nurse who was supporting my daughter, Katie. Katie had struggled with her bowel and bladder health from a very young age and after many years of suffering and hospital visits over the years, by the time she was 8 it became clear surgery was the best option. We contacted ERIC’s Helpline many times over the years and they provided lots of helpline advice to support her wellbeing.

She eventually had colostomy surgery and now lives with a stoma, and ERIC was really a lifeline for us through this time, because it was that one source I knew I could trust for information.

Giving back

After all the amazing support we received, we wanted to give back and support ERIC. There’s a bit of a stigma when it comes to talking about wee and poo, so Katie and I are really passionate about breaking this down and encouraging everyone to be more open about this topic.

Katie has given talks at school about stomas, as well as working with local theatres, arenas and other public places in our local area to promote stoma friendly toilets. She’s a Wellbeing Ambassador at school and I helped her to create an Instagram account where we share her experiences of living with a stoma.

Becoming a hero

After seeing an advert for ERIC’s Potty Training Heroes on social media, I decided to go for it. Potty training is such an important part of a child’s journey and, having been through it with my own children, I know that it’s vital to have support around you.

To start with, I had an initial telephone conversation with the team, followed by a couple of online sessions where Sunni, ERIC’s Bowel & Bladder Nurse, and Sarah, Head of Family Services, talked us through what it involved. We received online training, and it was great to find out more about the other side of things and discover how ERIC gives support to families.

Fitting in with family life

My role involves logging into a web chat each week and supporting parents with any questions or support they might need around potty training. It’s a few hours each week and I do it from home, so it fits around my other commitments – school, the kids’ activities, and being a school governor etc.

My favourite thing about being an ERIC volunteer is the team – there’s such a warm welcoming atmosphere at ERIC, that I instantly felt like part of the crew. I also really love the sense of giving back to others what ERIC gave to me and my child, it’s really rewarding.

Give it a go

I’d say to anyone who is considering volunteering for ERIC to apply and find out more – just give it a go. ERIC is a charity and relies on volunteers like us to carry on its vital work. If you can make it work and fit around your family life, it is a really wonderful thing to do and you will get an enormous sense of achievement from helping others like yourself.

Volunteer Potty Training Heroes

Would you like to help parents and carers who need some support with potty training? We're looking for volunteers on our project, Potty Training Heroes.

Find out more