Why volunteering is the new vibe
Volunteering may have overtones of jam making and church halls but there are real opportunities to offer your skills, gain skills or simply give back to your local community.
The roles are varied and can include volunteering at a local radio station, helping the homeless, supporting your library or working with children and young people at a Family Hub or Youth Hub.
During the pandemic, the numbers of volunteers hit a peak. In the face of a crisis, millions of ordinary people wanted to roll up their sleeves and provide unpaid help.
Since then, the number of volunteers has declined.
Four local people tell us how volunteering with Family and Youth Hubs has brought a positive change in their lives…
John, volunteer
John, Family Hub Volunteer
John didn’t expect to find himself volunteering for the Family Hub, but when he decided to adopt he knew he needed experience in childcare. After working in a nursery in his late teens, his career took a different direction when he landed a job in a high-end retail outlet in London.
After looking online and going to the Volunteer Centre in Uckfield, he realised that a Family Hub would be a good way to achieve his goals.
“I did wonder what it was going to be like for a man coming into a situation like this, because it’s very much female led, but I have been welcomed with open arms which has been really nice,” he said.
Fortunately, John hasn’t found the process difficult.
He attended an interview at the Family Hub and completed the equality and diversity, and safeguarding training online in a couple of hours. He also needed a DBS.
Volunteers are welcomed in with open arms
The first morning, John admits he had a few nerves.
“I was a bit anxious in the beginning, but soon as we got into it and started helping the kids, it was fine. I was fascinated to see how interested they are, yeah, how their minds works, how much they want to share with you what they’re doing.”
John found he enjoyed the teamwork: “We tried a couple of times to build a tower and failed, it all fell down, we had to rethink our strategy, stabilize it, and when we’d done that, it all worked really well.”
Untapped skills
John’s experience has made him keen to encourage others.
“The only person that’s stopping you is yourself. It doesn’t matter what kind of volunteer position you go for, just go for something that interests you, and be a part of the community and in any way you can. I think there are a lot of men and women out there with untapped skills which would be very helpful.”
Lisa, volunteer
Lisa, Family Hub Volunteer
Lisa had been a primary school teacher for nearly 25 years before coming to a Family Hub to volunteer.
“I had been working part time, but then I decided that I wanted a bit of a change and have time off with my youngest, but I still wanted to do something. As luck would have it a flyer came home from school about the Family Hub.
“I did a course, which covered lots of different issues, such as safeguarding and equalities. I had to go through DBS checks and references. Although I’d worked with children, the training was useful, with lots up to date information.”
Despite her experience, Lisa was grateful to be eased into the role with the support of two other volunteers.
Two years of volunteering
Lisa is now an old hand, having volunteered for more than two years and thoroughly enjoying it.
“I’ve worked with the Bumps to Babies group and that was lovely. It gave me a chance to form relationships with the parents and to see the children grow. I also supported the Discovery Tots, which is arts and crafts, messy play and making things. I have a little scroll on Pinterest or a rummage on Facebook to get new ideas.”
Lisa is quick to recommend the role: “I think volunteering is a really useful thing to put on a CV. If you have stopped work, it’s sometimes quite hard to start work again. And I think that volunteering can give you a new start and it’s really nice to have the chance to give back.”
Cai, Youth Hub Volunteer
Cai (left) and Hayley (right), volunteers
Cai’s introduction to Youth Work came after he attended the youth group himself as a teen; one of the workers approach him about becoming a volunteer.
“I think they saw how much I was supporting younger members of an LGBT group. I was helping other trans people, and they wanted me to try and continue to do that.”
The training wasn’t too daunting either.
“I did the two-day course and I did some online training. I felt comfortable, I knew other people there, then I got to meet others and that helped me branch out a bit more and feel less scared. Since then, I’ve been going to groups and learning on the job.
Finding the time to volunteer
Cai works in retail but has been able to find up to four hours a week for the Youth Hub.
“The first session was quite relaxing and getting to talk with the young people was nice. And then I did juniors, and that was kind of manic. We play badminton, volleyball, and Pokemon Go. We get them into walking and doing things outside, and that’s helped them get more motivated to do other stuff.”
Cai has now been volunteering for more than two years and believes it has helped him learn to be more himself.
Volunteering helped me to feel more confident
“Growing up, I was a very quiet person, very internalized. It’s helped me feel more confident to just be myself and not care what people say. In the future, I want to get more into Youth Work. It could be a career. It’s something I feel more comfortable in.”
Cai says it’s natural to feel scared but you can’t let that stop you.
“If you feel uncomfortable just take the leap, because you might be surprised on how you feel afterwards.”
Hayley, Youth Hub Volunteer
Hayley was looking to make an impact and do something positive for the community, when she stumbled across a website promoting volunteering.
“I’d just moved here, so I wanted to meet new people. I thought it would be a good idea to do something where I could use my skills.”
She’d taught in a secondary school and was passionate about working with young people.
“I applied immediately through the website.” The process was easier than she imagined.
A passion for working with young people
“Someone got in contact with me. We had a phone conversation first, then met up. We seemed to be coming from the same standpoint on our values and our passion for working with young people. And then I had an interview and did the DBS.”
Hayley’s enrolment took about a month and included some training.
“The course covered safeguarding and stuff, which is obviously really important, but also how to interact with young people, how to start conversations, like, what we thought youth work was.”
She also felt apprehensive before the first session.
“I was nervous. Youth work is different to teaching. I didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t sure how confident I’d feel. What if they didn’t like me? What if I didn’t fit in? What if it all just went wrong, and I fell over in front of everyone?”
Take a leap and trust the process
Her fears, as it turned out, were groundless. She now tells others to take a leap and trust the process.
“The young people were really great, really welcoming and just willing to accept new people. It was good.”
Hayley is looking forward to a move to a new building in the summer.
“It’ll be fantastic. There’ll be more space and more opportunity to get creative with the younger people. But you know, here’s still been really good. We’ve been baking and playing badminton and Jenga and just getting to know the young people, and what they’re about.”
Keen to find out more about volunteering?
Find out more about volunteering at a Family Hub or volunteering at a Youth Hub.
Check out other volunteering opportunities across East Sussex with Tribe.
Read more about the benefits and impact of volunteering!
