Lifestyle

Should You Volunteer?

Do you want to help raise money for a charity of your choice? Are you looking for a job and finding that you don’t have the correct skills? OR do you have so much free time you don’t know what to do with it? Then volunteer work could be the answer for you.

After leaving university back in July I suddenly found myself facing the big wide world with no idea what I was going to do next. Suddenly I had the weight of debt on my shoulders without the monthly deposits from the student loan deity. But every time I applied for a job I found that I was turned down because I was lacking in the necessary skills, despite having a part-time job through university.

For some months I was getting the same response from employers and so I decided that if no one was going to give me the opportunity to gain these ‘necessary skills’ then I was going to go out and get them myself. I took a quick walk into town where my passion for books and my family’s history found me outside of the Hospice bookshop.

After a very simple application form and an interview during that week I soon found myself working behind the till of the bookshop and quickly gaining those necessary skills. I learnt how to work the till, stock shelves, rotate stock and gained experience working face to face customers. I met some truly fascinating people and became attached to the historical building that the shop was situated in and weeks later I’m still there for my shift every week.

People choose to volunteer for a variety of reasons. Some do it  just to get out of the house when they have too much free time. The atmosphere and enjoyment of being surrounded by like-minded enthusiastic people is enough to keep you coming back every week even if you’re not being paid.

But most people choose to volunteer in order to help out a charity that is very special to their heart. My family has had experiences where we have relied on the Hospice in order to look after sick relatives so the chance to now give back to these people is something I’m extremely proud of. The money that I am helping the bookshop raise will go towards the care of other patients and help the Hospice to continue their work.

There are a range of charities that you could choose from to volunteer with from TAG Pet Rescue to Cancer Research UK and it’s such a rewarding way to spend time that would otherwise be wasted. Volunteering is your chance to do something for others whilst learning something new and I think that it’s possible for everyone with a couple hours free a week to do some volunteering.

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