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As a girl who began watching ballet at the age of 10, little did Safia Qureshi realise that one day her interest in dance would lead to a career in helping to improve people’s health and wellbeing.

Safia is currently Director of Evidence and Digital at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, the national improvement agency for health and care in Scotland, whilst also being a volunteer with Scottish Ballet. She is involved with them as part of a ground-breaking initiative that uses dance as an alternative to medication.

Safia, from Penicuik, is one of 3485 NHS volunteers each month, who give up their time to help others. In total, NHS volunteers donated 584,000 hours in 2023-24 – the equivalent of 24,333 days.

She is encouraging others to do their bit and give up some of their spare time, as part of Volunteers Week, which runs from Monday, 3 June until Sunday 9.

Safia said: “I grew up loving ballet. I went to see it with my mum when I was a little, so I’ve always gone to see it when I can.

“I was doing a leadership development course run by the Scottish Government called Project Lift when I first came into contact with Scottish Ballet in a work setting. and they had this idea which they called Colliding Perspectives.

“I was involved in an initiative where small groups of people who were on the course came together with folk from different industries, and one of the companies involved was Scottish Ballet.

“They were looking for help with developing their Dance Health programme so I was straight at the front for that one, saying ‘Let me help!’

“Some colleagues and I were invited for a visit, to meet them and talk about what they were looking for.

“When I was there, I wondered if Healthcare Improvement Scotland might be able to help them, because one of their challenges was persuading healthcare professionals that dance could be used as an alternative to medication.”

Safia initially volunteered with a programme which helped people with Parkinson’s Disease.

She explained: “Having heard about their dance health programme at a high level, I got the opportunity to volunteer with the Dance for Parkinson’s programme that Scottish Ballet was running in Peebles, so I volunteered with them, probably on and off for maybe a year-and-a-half, and that was what really did it for me.

“It was just the most amazing experience, as the classes were run by professional dancers and they treated everyone who was in the room as a dancer. It was all really respectful and the programmes are based on whatever Scottish Ballet are working on, so there’s always a connection back to the company.

“The class became this real community, where people with Parkinson’s and a friend or a partner would come, and we’d all do the class together. It was great for helping people to relax and unwind.

“There were times when I would be blinking back tears at the positivity and community in the room. There’s something really special about the way that dance helped and united us all. I got such a lot from it personally, and it made me more determined that we need to show other people this is something that is amazing.”

With her knowledge as a health and care professional, Safia has been delighted to bring her professional expertise, her contacts within the world of healthcare professionals, plus her love of ballet together, and in turn has made many friends.

She said: “I helped Scottish Ballet set up their research committee and bringing in clinical experts.

“Having been a volunteer for a while, I was thinking some of the exercises that Scottish Ballet do might benefit people with Long COVID.

“We asked some of the patient representatives who’d supported us develop a clinical guideline for people with Long COVID guideline if they would meet with Scottish Ballet and talk them through what might be useful. They then introduced Scottish Ballet to more people in the Long COVID community. There was a real example of thinking differently, and using what you do in a different way to help people.”

Safia added: “When I was 10 years old and going to the ballet with my mum, I wouldn’t have believed this was all possible and that one day, I’d be working with Scottish Ballet. It still catches me every time I go.

“Through volunteering, you meet fascinating people who you would never otherwise have met and you also get to learn about yourself as you broaden your horizons. It’s very rewarding.

“Volunteering makes you feel good in lots of different ways, by doing something that takes you out of your day-to-day routine. I’ve been part of a community I never knew existed, which is lovely and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.”