It’s International Volunteer Day today – a huge shout out to all our amazing volunteers. You make a difference in the lives of every person who steps through the door for a Peaced Together course.
What volunteers do is priceless – but the social and economic contribution they make is phenomenal. The most recent figures from the ONS suggest that formal volunteering contributes nearly £24 billion to the UK economy each year.
It’s clear that volunteers make a positive impact on people and communities around the country. But for the person volunteering, the impact can be just as significant. Giving your time to help other people can have huge benefits:
- Your confidence grows. We see many volunteers move on to jobs and new projects thanks to newfound confidence that has developed while helping run Peaced Together.
- You learn new skills. We train all of our Peaced Together trainers in the practical craft activities, but also in skills such as how to run a discussion and help people find further support.
- You meet people you would never normally meet. Our volunteers meet people from many different walks of life while running Peaced Together.
- You get a great sense of fulfilment. Nothing beats the satisfaction of knowing your actions are benefiting someone else. Volunteering causes you to look outside of your own life and care for other people, which can be great for mental wellbeing.
- You become more involved in your community. If you are volunteering locally to where you live, a new sense of ownership and pride in your area can grow as you meet other people who really care about the community.
Today is a good time to stop and say thanks to those who give their time to help you. At Peaced Together, our volunteers have regular, defined roles. But volunteering doesn’t only take place in formal settings. A volunteer is anyone who gives their time freely to serve someone else. Maybe you look after a friend’s child so they can go shopping in peace or clean an elderly relative’s home for them. Hats off to you today as well – what you do is so important!
It’s also a great time to consider whether you could benefit from formal volunteering. Your local community centre is a great place to start if you’re looking for local opportunities. If you’re local to Peaced Together HQ, The Hub @ Castle Point in Dagenham has a volunteer coordinator who works with and supports our volunteers. Why not get in touch today and see how you can get more involved in your local community?