The month of June heralds many joyful things, from overflowing punnets of affordable strawberries to an excuse to kick back in the sunshine. But you might not realise it’s also National Volunteer Week – an opportunity to reflect on the countless hours of hard work and dedication that volunteers contribute to their communities.
As a Trustee at Winchester-based charity Friends of the Family, I am myself a volunteer, and I can testify to the many ways in which it makes life better. As well as making me feel useful – and who doesn’t want to feel useful? – It’s given me the opportunity to meet and talk with countless other volunteers who are giving their time for our amazing charity. I’m here to tell you that some of their stories have changed the way I see the world. From people who have transformed the lives of those they’re supporting, to individuals who say the experience has been transformative to their own lives, one thing is clear: volunteering is a powerful force that should be celebrated.
Without our volunteers, Friends of the Family would be a train without an engine. Our Befriending Service, for example, relies on trained volunteers spending 2 hours a week with children in need of friendship. Some of those children have siblings with disabilities, or they may be a carer for their own parent. They may be dealing with bereavement, domestic violence, or poverty, or they may have struggles at school. I’ve lost count of the number of uplifting stories I’ve heard from these volunteers. There’s the little boy who turned to his befriender after spending an afternoon playing football in the park and announced that it had been ‘the best day of his life’. Another volunteer supported her child in learning to ride a bike, while one Mum recalled how her son’s befriender introduced her shy, anxious child to outdoor orienteering, giving him untold confidence and ultimately leading to him studying Geography later in life.
Our Mums and Young Children group, which provides group therapy for mums who are facing a crisis in their lives, is equally dependent on volunteers. Each week, a fabulous team – ranging from university students to 75-year-old retirees – meets at our Winchester headquarters to look after the children while their mums are in therapy. Again, these volunteers talk of the joy they experience, be it because a child who rarely smiles suddenly bursts into laughter, or at the sight of a Mum as her confidence in parenting blossoms and grows.
All of these volunteers are nothing short of heroes, and what they are achieving is nothing short of magic. The magic doesn’t stop with the people they help, however. It’s liberally sprinkled on the volunteers themselves. At a time when loneliness has been described as an epidemic, with a recent survey suggesting almost 50% of adults in the UK feel lonely occasionally, sometimes, often, or always, volunteering has been identified as a powerful antidote. Remarkably, research by the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that people who volunteer spend 38% less time in the hospital. Some experts have even suggested that GPs should prescribe volunteering to their patients. On the strength of the conversations I’ve had with our volunteers, it’s hard to argue with this. One of them told me, “I’ve found it very helpful because it’s given links into the community, knowing I was with other adults with this common interest. There was a time when I felt very low myself, and I still felt accepted there.” Other people who’ve volunteered for us have described how their experience gave them purpose, friendship, and even a sense of family. The truth is, it’s not just about lending a helping hand; it’s about building connections, learning from others, and discovering the incredible impact we can have when we come together for a common cause.
As someone who has now been involved with Friends of the Family for two years, I can honestly say that volunteering has transformed my perspective on what it means to give back. This week serves as a reminder of how volunteering shapes our world in ways both big and small, and I’m proud to be part of a community that is making a difference.
Friends of the Family are looking for volunteers across the organisation – from befrienders to play workers with the Mums and Young Children group, as well as Trustee roles.
To find out more, call 01962 864466, email volunteer@fotfwinchester.org, or visit www.fotfwinchester.org.
We’d love to hear from you!
