Over the last few years, I have discovered that one of my favourite things to do in my free time is to volunteer. I have volunteered for a variety of different organisations and carried out a variety of different roles. These have included simple, everyday activities like taking dogs for walks at an animal rescue centre and running activities for children at an after-school club. But I have also volunteered for some more professional roles, like translating and managing a charity event.
However, no matter what kind of volunteering, I have always loved it and I would encourage others to give it a go. Here are my top four reasons why I think volunteering is so worthwhile.
1. It’s an opportunity to gain experience and skills.
By volunteering, you are carrying out a job – even though you’re not being paid – so you can gain valuable experience and skills which are likely to be useful in the future. For example, many volunteering roles will help you to gain experience in working as a team.
2. You can meet new people.
One of the best things about volunteering is meeting the other volunteers! They are likely to be very interesting and inspiring people and might just turn out to be great friends too.
3. It’s a way to gain confidence.
Many people who do voluntary work say that it has helped them to feel more confident in all sorts of ways. For example, I have always been quite a shy person, but my volunteering experience has helped me to gain confidence in talking to strangers and even in front of a crowd!
4. You can have lots of fun!
Doing an activity that you wouldn’t normally do, with like-minded people, should mean that you have a really fun time. You will also feel good knowing that you are doing something for a good cause.
These are just a few of the many reasons why I suggest that you look for volunteering opportunities in your local town or city. There are many different things that you can get involved with, and remember that any type of volunteering is good volunteering. If you like, you can start with something small and who knows what it will lead to! The most important thing to remember is that as well as helping others, you can get a great deal out of it too!
Have you ever volunteered? What kind of voluntary work would you like to do?
