Celebrating Volunteers’ Week
It’s Volunteers’ Week, and we’re celebrating the contribution made by the thousands of people who help Hammersmith to thrive.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the voluntary and community sector. Without them, many charities simply wouldn’t exist and people wouldn’t get the support they need, whether that’s mentorship, financial advice, therapeutic support or a myriad of other services that volunteers provide, day-in, day-out across Hammersmith.
Victoria Hill, Chief Executive & Clerk to the Trustees at Hammersmith United Charities, says, “Last year, more than 2,000 people volunteered for the organisations supported by Hammersmith United Charities. Doorstep Library, for example, places volunteers at the very heart of its service. Almost 200 people volunteer through the charity to read books with children, helping to improve literacy and inspire a love of reading.
“In fact, every single one of our grant-holders relies on volunteers in one way or another. Hammersmith United Charities is no different. Volunteering is in our ethos. Many of our staff members and almshouse residents are themselves volunteers. I myself have volunteered as a Trustee of StreetGames and St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity for many years. In turn, I rely on the skills and guidance of our volunteer Trustees at Hammersmith United Charities.”
Our Head of Grants and Community, Paul Robson, regularly volunteers for Age UK Richmond upon Thames. He visits older people in their homes to help them fill in forms to get Attendance Allowance, a Blue Badge or a Freedom Pass.
Paul says, “I volunteer because I get a big kick out of being helpful to people in a practical way. Benefit forms are really daunting if you are not used to them, so it is rewarding to use my skills to help. Also, I love chatting to the people I visit about their experiences of living in the area where I grew up.”
Paige Windust, our Grants and Communications Officer, shares, “Prior to working in the charity sector, I volunteered as a UKiset and Occupational English Test teacher at RefuAid, and as an administrator at Refugee Action, Kingston. I wanted to support individuals who were rebuilding their lives in the UK after experiencing forced migration, and did so by helping them prepare for a range of equivalency examinations in order to retrain in their chosen fields.”
The benefits of volunteering for charities and their clients
According to the Royal Voluntary Service, volunteering adds £4.6 billion to the economy per year.
Volunteers enrich charities in many ways. They share skills gained through their employment, education or life in general, and provide an extra pair of hands – often delivering services that the charity could otherwise not afford to run.
Stephan Wiedmer, Branch Manager at Crosslight’s Hammersmith office, says, “One of the benefits of volunteers is that they have time to really listen to clients. After meeting with a Crosslight volunteer, clients often tell us that it was the first time someone took the time to sit down with them and listen carefully to what they have to say. That makes such a huge difference.”
Many volunteers have lived experience of the issue that the charity is tackling. Volunteers can also provide new perspectives, opinions and approaches. They can help a charity to look at a problem from a different angle, gain a better understanding of the local community and identify opportunities to improve.
The benefits of volunteering for individuals
Of course, volunteers themselves also benefit from the time they spend supporting their community. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, use your existing skills, learn new skills, boost your CV and feel good about giving back to your community. As Paige says, “I learnt a lot about the real-life impact of humanitarian crises, and the skills I learnt helped me enormously in my job as a teacher, and later in the charity sector when working in a community as diverse as H&F.”
Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service, says, “Volunteering is a very effective means to improve confidence and skills and show commitment to an organisation, helping both the employed and unemployed boost their employability and prospects.”
Finding the right volunteering opportunity
There are numerous volunteer roles available across London. Before you start your search, you may want to consider which issues you want to help to tackle, and the skills and interests you have to share. Whether you’re a whizz with spreadsheets, love cooking or football, or are great at problem solving, there will be a charity who would welcome your help. As Michael Angus, Director of Barons Court Project, says, “We’ve had volunteers in to teach drumming, yoga, creative writing, drama and all different things.”
You could support the strategic direction of a charity by becoming a Trustee, work directly with a charity’s clients as a mentor or adviser, or support a charity through admin, marketing, fundraising or similar work. You can also choose to give your time weekly, monthly, or on a one-off basis.
In short, whatever your interests, skills or availability, if you’re keen to volunteer, the perfect opportunity is waiting for you to grab it. Get in touch with local groups working in a sector that interests you, or find volunteering opportunities through:
Whatever volunteer role you decide to do, thank you!
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Sue says, “I want the students to have a sense of wonder at how incredible nature is when they’re planting and seeing things grow. We’re growing lots of different varieties, including around 15 types of tomatoes. In a supermarket, you have a very limited array, because the produce is grown to last a long time on the shelf. In the garden, we’re growing for colour and variety and taste, which is much more exciting.”