Why Volunteer?

Why volunteer?

Volunteering can help you learn new skills,  make friends, advance your career, and even feel happier and healthier. Volunteering makes you happy!

Why volunteer?

Everybody have different reason to volunteer. Some people are looking to gain experience and skills, other want to help others. The truth is that nothing can stop you to spend an hour a week making a difference. We all have busy lives, do we? Actually not all people are alike, what makes volunteering so exciting. Volunteering brings many joys and have lots of advantages, but what count most is the fact that you are already thinking about it. Thinking about making a difference in a most beautiful way this world offers, for free. 

Through volunteering you can offer your vital help, skills and the time to people in need, the community, worthwhile causes, or remotely, but the benefits can be even greater for you, the volunteer. While many people are interested in animals and natural environment, we humans need all help we can get to thrive in this fast and complicated world. Consider than options that require certain skills and knowledge that you can offer without guessing what is right for you. 

You can also contact some of the voluntary sector champions e.g local volunteer co-ordinator at the charity of your choice, or other local activists. Some of the best choices you can make however will depend on the experience and expertise, so why not contact you local Volunteer Centre, or National Voluntary organisations, that are supporting the sector and often managing volunteer opportunities for the sector. The right match can help you to find friends, connect with the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career.

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." - Plato

Giving is the most beautiful thing you can do. Helping others can help protect your mental and physical health, reduce stress, prevent depression and keep you mentally stimulated. Many people, who have suffered social isolation also say that volunteering provides them a sense of purpose and a way to see the light in the tunnel. Volunteering doesn’t have to involve a long-term commitment or take a huge amount of time out of your busy schedule. You can plan your week to do the work, spend time with your family and support your local charity the way you never thought is possible. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, work contacts and boost your employability and social skills. See below some of the more well-known benefits of volunteering. 

Benefits of volunteering

Benefit 1: Volunteering makes you feel healthier and happier and more successful by:

• Connecting you to others

• Stimulating your mind and body

• Advancing your social position and helping your career

• Bringing fun and fulfillment to your life

• Giving back to the community, where you increase self-worth 

• Exposing you to passion and positivity of other volunteers and paid staff

• Bringing fun and fulfillment to your life

• Allowing you to escape from your day-to-day routine

Benefit 2: Volunteering strengthens your self-confidence and resilience by:

• Connecting to your community and making it a better place to live for everyone 

• Making new friends and contacts

• Working in a team, that is committed to a shared activity, or a goal

• Achieving success and enjoying perks like free training, travel expenses, mentoring

• Taking part in fun and fulfilling activities and events

• Exposing you to change and new people and situations

• Learning to create, use and expand your support network 

• Creating momentum to make more friends and contacts

Benefit 3: Volunteering supports your mind and body by:

• Reducing the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety 

• Improving mood and life satisfaction

• Providing an opportunity to develop  meaningful connection to another person

• Reducing, or eliminating depression 

• Keeping you in regular contact with other people 

• Being helpful to others delivers, as the more we give, the happier we feel

• Providing a natural sense of accomplishment

• Providing a sense of purpose and direction 

• Taking your mind off your own worries and putting them in the right perspective

• Helping you stay physically healthy through reducing chronic pain and reducing the risk of heart disease

• Helping people with disabilities or chronic health conditions, health conditions ranging from hearing and vision loss to heart disease, diabetes, digestive disorders, stress or panic attacks

Benefit 4: Volunteering can advance your career and achieve life goals by:

• Enabling access to the roles and activities reserved for professional staff 

• Gaining, or improving experience in variety of fields

• Gaining, or improving new skills and accessing free training

• Gaining, or improving your people skills and social skills

• Gaining, or improving your public speaking, communication, conflict resolution and marketing skills

How to find the "perfect match", the right volunteer opportunity

First of all there are very large number volunteer opportunities available and not all of them are what you think they are. The voluntary sector is one of the fastest changing sectors and require your help. The key is to find a position that you would enjoy and are capable of doing. It’s also important to make sure that your commitment matches the organisation’s needs.

Where to find volunteer opportunities

Please visit this website for direct links to National Organisations managing volunteer opportunities for the sector.