Getting to know you …Sam Holder

Getting to know you…

This month we caught up with Sam Holder, Occupational Therapist, also currently our Health and Wellbeing Manager, who loves art and crafts and is rewinding the clock with roller skating.

How long have you worked in our hospitals?

I work across all sites, but started at the Royal in 2006, prior to this I worked in a mental health secure hospital.

What did you want to be when growing up, did you always want to work in healthcare?

When I was younger, I wanted to be a dancer and a kids entertainer at holiday resorts! Then I wanted to be a clinical psychologist but I realised I’d be “really old… like 30” before I would have a job I reconsidered my career choice and honestly stumbled over OT at a uni open day.

What does your role involve?

The focus of OT is to improve a person’s ability to engage with daily activities. This could be work, self-care or leisure. A person’s health; physical or mental, and their environment can impact their ability to perform a task and my role is to suggest ways to help. This nicely fits into my latest role as health and wellbeing manager as I am working with lots of different people across the Trust and our sole focus is to ensure that we are looking after our staff. The last two years have been hard and we need to help staff recover and provide activities, events and groups that can support them with their health, work and home requirements.

What’s your favourite thing about your job?

People. I love working with different people, learning about them and working with them to help to improve different aspect of their lives. No-one is the same, no problems are the same and no solution is the same. Problem solving and personalised care is the secret weapon of an OT.

What are your highlights during your time at LUHFT?

I’ve often laughed and called it my “Royal family”. I loved working on the Stroke Unit at the Royal, such a great team with lots of laughs. The therapists are such a caring and supportive bunch. Now I’m loving the enthusiasm from so many different people around the Trust who simply want to give something back to their colleagues after a tough time. There are such a lot of caring and compassionate people and bringing that sense of belonging and togetherness is definitely the key to improving staff health and wellbeing.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

I’m so content with my music on, a paint brush, a pyrography tool, or alcohol ink in my hand and a brew on the side! It’s my release my mindful time in a hectic world. I’m a firm believer that a craft is the key to your mental health. Watch this space there’ll be basket weaving in the hubs one day… oh and I’ve recently taken up roller skating trying to bring back my youth.

What’s your favourite thing about Liverpool?

Oh, I just love it, I could lose myself wandering the city and looking at the stunning buildings, the people are so quick-witted.

What’s your favourite restaurant?

Maray, I meet an old friend every two weeks and we keep sneaking back.

What’s your favourite film or song?

I often fall asleep during films, I am a lover of Christmas films though! I love too many songs …but Everlong by the Foo Fighters will always be up there.

You win the lottery, what’s your dream holiday?

A Canadian adventure.

You’re stranded on an island, what three items would you want with you?

A boat, a phone and some suncream… bit of a chill and then I’m out of there.