I have been volunteering my nurse services with the Vine Trust since 2010.

I've been a registered general nurse in the NHS for 40 years and picked up a number of qualifications along the way. I initially wanted to work in a third world country to attempt to make a difference as a young nurse, but never quite got there,... Went on to get married and have a family instead... Stayed in my comfort zone, ( as it were).

Years later, as family were grown up, with various nursing specialities under my belt, a love of geography, and still a yearning to help those less fortunate than ourselves..

. I came across the Vine Trust through a friend who had been on one of their volunteering ships. I was intrigued to hear about her experience, and decided I would like to help. Each volunteer ship(Amazon Hope and the Trust's new ship, Forth Hope) cruises along various tributaries of the Amazon for approximately 10 days and there is usually two trips per month, the remaining time used to restock the ships with supplies etc.The rest is history. I have now been on 5 trips since 2010 and have never looked back; for me, it was the most humbling, rewarding thing I have ever done in my life: it made me take a look at my own circumstances and it taught me never to take what we have available in the UK for granted.

As the Vine Trust is a charitable organisation, the biggest problem for me is actually raising money to allow me to go out there to work! It gets harder each time!

The flights to South America have to be funded by myself, also the actual cost of my trip which includes, internal flights from Lima to Iquitos( where we board our ship), and back, and our board and lodgings on land and on board the ship itself. Over and above that, there is insurance and inoculations etc.

On the ship, we work a full 7 day week, up at 6am-6pm ( which are the hours of daylight being so near to the equator). It can be hard going in heat of over 40 degrees most days, . We usually see a different village each day, depending on the size of the village, if they are small, sometimes we can see a village in the morning, and a different one in the afternoon. We have clinics on board the ship, the local people come on board, they will get triaged depending on their ailments/ injuries. We often go into the villages to the schools, and give out malaria treatment to the children, fluoride treatment as well for their teeth. It is hard but rewarding work, and satisfying, to know that you are making a difference to communities who have NO access to formal healthcare.

Below I have included some pictures from some of my earlier trips to show the typical environment I would be working in with my fellow volunteers..