Celebrating volunteers week 1-7 June…
Where to even begin…!
I have volunteered in some capacity (not always under a formal role of ‘volunteer’) for as long as I can remember. From helping out at kids’ holiday clubs, writing reviews and blogs for a community bookshop, assisting children with reading in primary schools, clearing conservation land, driving local people to hospital appointments, to helping set up a repair café – if I could spend all day everyday volunteering, I absolutely would. Now this isn’t some kind of wonderful selfless thing I do (although I hope sometimes that is the case) but rather an invaluable, enjoyable and unique way to build up my skills and CV, explore career options, and meet new people. My driving volunteer role has even helped with my local geography, which has come in very handy since joining Action Hampshire. 🚗
Some roles have involved volunteering with family and friends, such as helping out at holiday clubs. This was a great way to spend time with people I loved, get stuck into collages and PVA glue, and have a good old laugh at friends and family as they contributed to the amateur dramatics (they laughed at me in return, don’t worry…!). It was a huge privilege to spend time with children and young people, providing them with space to have fun and make memories.
I’ve taken part in other roles as part of a workplace volunteering scheme. A particularly generous volunteering allowance from a past employer offered one hour/week volunteering time and included the cost of transport to a local school where my colleagues and I assisted children with reading. I still think about this on a weekly basis and reflect not only on how much joy it brought me, but also how the benefits of a forced break from a busy workload are not to be underestimated.
Many of my day jobs have involved working with volunteers and I know from my own experience, and the volunteer applications that came through the door, that volunteering is hugely beneficial when it comes to integrating into a new area. I joined Winchester Good Neighbours soon after moving to the area. Whilst some of the volunteers give a lot of time to the charity, the co-ordinators only send trips my way if they fit around my day job. On each and every trip, I’m blown away by the experiences, resilience and diversity of people. It’s a pleasure and hugely satisfying to know that a small act on my part can go a long way to making someone’s difficult day just a little bit easier.
[PLUG ALERT: we’re always looking for more Good Neighbours volunteers – email: winchestergoodneighbours@outlook.com or call our wonderful co-ordinators on 0800 6126 480 if you want to chat more about what it involves!]
Some of the volunteering I do has come about almost accidentally, and I’ve been drawn to it because of my own interests and/or the enthusiasm of others involved. A highlight of the month for me is our Repair Café events. Volunteers come together with their vast range of skills – everything from electrical, sewing, and mechanics, to baking, business start-up experience, and bid-writing skills – all are needed to help things run smoothly. There has been a lot of local interest and it feels great to be bringing together passions and experience to reduce the amount of local household items that end up in landfill.
It is inspirational to see how the organisations have expanded and increased their impact – the community bookshop is holding its 10th birthday this year, the repair café is up and running, and many of the children I volunteered with years ago are now teens or young adults getting out and making their mark on the world (hopefully in an eco-friendly way!). I hope that my volunteering has been beneficial to the organisations I’ve supported – through the time I’ve given, marketing materials I’ve produced, or even just because I’ve loved them all so much that I’ve YELLED about them to everyone I’ve spoken to for weeks on end. Whatever the motivation for volunteering , volunteering helps others as well as supporting our own wellbeing and is a vital part of our society.
So, my top tips for you:
- 100% make the most of any workplace volunteering initiatives available to you. I cannot think of a good reason not to – try me, I’m happy to argue it.
- Seek out opportunities that match your passions (mine are books 📚, the environment 🌱, and people 👨🏾🤝👨🏼) – it doesn’t have to be an obvious match but, if your heart’s involved, it makes it a hell of a lot easier to keep up the volunteering!
- Just have a go! Lots of organisations offer trial sessions if you want to find out a bit more before committing to a role.
But honestly, irrelevant of the skills I’ve learnt, people I’ve met, and purpose I’ve found through these roles, volunteering has always just made me feel good about humanity – and we all need that sometimes, you know.
