The reasons for getting into volunteering differ from person to person and many people get more out of it than they expected. Read (and watch) different people’s volunteering stories and how their journeys have progressed.
Laurens Versluis: Woodberry Downs Project tells us how volunteering has helped her feel part of London after moving here from Holland.
“My experience as a volunteer was and still is a very positive one. Originally from Holland, I came to Londonto live the metropolitan life. At the beginning I didn’t know an awful lot of people. That can make you feel quite lonely in such a big city. I came into contact with Trish Disbrey via some local ads. She took the time and effort to look for the best volunteer position for me. Because my volunteer work suits me so well, I can really contribute and use my skills to help out the community. I have been volunteering for couple of months and have really started to feel a part of London and its people. It gave me a lot of confidence that helped me aquire the paid job I currently hold. There are not enough words to describe how important voluntary work is for a city like London. With so many inhabitants a city can easily become anonymous and socially deprived. But it is altruistic people like Trish that tighten the bonds between people together and make it a lively and wonderful place to live in. Thank you Trish and thank you Volunteer Centre Hackney!”
Laurens is placed with the Better Homes Network as a researcher.
Leo Gordon
Volunteer Centre Hackney placed Leo at Spitalfields City Farm after he showed an interest in volunteering. By trade, he is a driver and gardening had never crossed his mind. But since then, he’s enjoyed every minute of it.
Therese Woodberry Down Project
I heard about volunteering through an open day at the Robin Redmond resource centre and a leaflet through the post. I always wanted to volunteer so I was introduced to Trish. She was looking for an Admin Assistant and asked me if I was interested in the role, I gladly accepted. I have been volunteering on the Woodberry Down Volunteer Programme for three months now and enjoy learning new skills, meeting people and much more. I would encourage people to get going with volunteering because it gave me the experience and knowledge I always wanted to obtain. Now I have a brand new CV, I can look forward to a new job career in admin as I now have the skills needed as well as a choice of references. I have a new approach to life with my new found confidence.
Hackney Homes volunteer programme
This Hackney Homes resident successfully completed a 3 month placement volunteering with the Ways into Work team.
“Having been out of work for quite a considerable amount of time, I found the prospect of going back to work very daunting. Wanting to gain hands on experience in a new field, I decided to do some volunteering. After little research I found VCH and sent them an email expressing which line of work I wanted to volunteer in and was contacted soon after by a Hackney Homes volunteer service coordinator with an opportunity for me to gain experience over a 3 month period.
“Throughout my placement, I was totally supported by the programme. We had regular supervisions to ensure that I was happy and making progress, as well as discussing my role and whether there were any duties I would have liked to add or remove to my list of tasks and duties.
My placement was a great achievement and just the thing I needed. I’ve gained experience and so much confidence in my abilities.
I’m now ready to put myself out there again. The placement has given me a new entry to my CV and I now have up-to-date references. Through networking and building work contacts, I was able to secure a 6 month work placement. This is a fantastic opportunity for me, as it gives me the hands on experience required for the role/career I aspire to.”
Mandeep Hothi
Firstly, I would like to introduce myself. I am a trustee here at VCH. As a recent arrival to Hackney I thought I should get involved with a local charity. I have to confess that I am not just involved with VCH for altruistic reasons. I know that volunteering and helping out in my local area will benefit me.
In my day job, I work for an organisation called the Young Foundation and a lot of my work is about empowering communities. We have the view, which is shared by many, that the more people become involved in their communities; volunteering at a community group, standing for school governor, or just helping out their neighbour, the more likely they are to be happy. Forgive me for preaching, but it is this message that I want to spread. This is largely for two reasons. First, the more you get involved in your local area, the more people you are likely to meet. We humans are social animals and throughout history we have relied on our neighbours and those living close by for support, from borrowing a lawnmower to looking after our children.
If you know or have helped more people locally, the chances are they will be there when you need them. Secondly, the more you help local people and organisations, the better you are likely to feel. Helping others makes your life more satisfying – it’s as simple as that.
Gloria Burke
Gloria experienced a breakdown about 4 years ago after suffering from anxiety and depression. She was placed in hospital for 5 weeks and shared a ward with 18 other patients. Within that 5 week period only two of the patients had any visitors and most didn’t have any money to buy treats for themselves. Gloria’s own family members brought in treats for all the patients on the ward. It was this experience in hospital that led Gloria to begin visiting mental health wards in Mile End, volunteering her time and sharing her experiences once she had herself recovered.
Before Easter of this year, Gloria and her sister Helen embarked on a sponsored walk in order to raise money for mental health patients at Mile End Hospital. Gloria and Helen managed to complete the three mile walk which took place in Victoria Park and managed to raise £140 for their efforts. The money is going towards buying treats for patients whilst they recover in hospital. To this day Gloria still continues to visit patients in hospital and also manages to volunteer some of her time with us, here at Volunteer Centre Hackney. Gloria is also in the process of starting up a voluntary gardening project at St. Mathias School in Poplar.
Michael Horn
Between March and May 2010, I was part of the volunteer V.I.P. Archiving project at the Museum of London Archaeological Archive in Hackney, which Volunteer Centre Hackney helped me to get a place on. I have a degree in Archaeology and after 13 years of trying to find my ideal job and suffering from mental illness, the project reinvigorated my love of archaeology and made me realise that, once I was over my current difficult patch, I wanted to pursue a career in the field.
I can’t emphasise enough how much I enjoyed being part of the VIP project and how the supervisor’s enthusiasm and knowledge led me back to my first love of history and hopefully a new and fulfilling career.
Paul Conway
Paul was made redundant from his job as the Office Manager for an architecture firm in 2003. After six months or so of cooling his heels at home, he heard through a friend about a voluntary placement with HTEN, an organisation which supported training and employment providers in Hackney. Working part-time in an admin position gave his week some structure and made him feel less isolated. He says that performing well during the three month placement really boosted his confidence. Paul found another voluntary role soon after that placement finished, but during December 2003 he got a call from the Chief Executive of HTEN asking him whether he would like to come back and be employed as their Office Manager. Seven years on and Paul is now the Operations Manager at Hackney Council for Voluntary Services.
Although volunteering doesn’t always lead to employment, there are many other reasons to get involved. In Paul’s experience, volunteering is ‘a great way for people who are unemployed and stuck at home to have some time structure and regular personal contact, giving them a sense of dignity and achievement’.
