Why do we volunteer?

What inspires YOU to volunteer?

Samuel Cheetham, 18 from Chelmsford, Essex

“Most people in our society expect the world to keep turning on its own.  However, there are a benevolent few who generously give up their time to help people, animals, the environment – all walks of life.  These people are volunteers and I am honoured to be able to call myself one.  You may think that we only work in charity shops or on the streets shaking buckets but there is so much more to volunteering than that.  You can combine your hobbies and interests with volunteering, which is exactly what I did.  Thanks to First Light, I have been able to use my love and knowledge of film to support the work of a handful of organisations that champion what it means to be compassionate, selfless and have an incredibly amazing heart.  With society’s reliance on money, we need volunteers to give the homeless shelter; to supply people with clean water; to protect the environment for future generations; to preserve our heritage; to give people the confidence to be who they truly are; and to even save a life.“

 

Georgia Ball

“‘Volunteer’ is a word that we so regularly hear in today’s society. It’s on the news, it’s in the papers and we all know how to define it. Yet there’s only a few of us who know what it really means; what it feels like to volunteer. We all know the positives, we have heard them a thousand times, yet not many of us understand how these positives have an impact on people’s lives. Not just other people, it can dramatically change your life too. You see, volunteering is a perpetual circle- you help others which then helps you.

The first step is to appreciate what you have. It’s all too easy for us to complain about life, to grumble and sigh over the small things. However, when we start to help people less fortunate than ourselves, it gently reminds us of what we have in our lives, what we take for granted. We all need a little reminder sometimes. Volunteering IS that reminder. Of course, there are many different types of volunteer work out there. This is what I feel inspires people of all ages to volunteer. You can choose something that interests you, something you enjoy, something that will ultimately make a difference to you. Volunteering is so important. It brings together a wide variety of people, connecting them by shared interests and common goals. It allows a person to better understand others. It allows a person to better understand themselves. It is a wonderful opportunity to be active in the community, gain new skills in a particular area and develop friendships. It is also a great addition to any CV or university application. These are precisely the reasons why I chose to volunteer for First Light. I chose an area I was interested in and keen to learn more about. I was willing to be part of something special, to be part of a project that was not only enjoyable for myself, but would also benefit others.

Thomas Jefferson once said “The glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money.” Volunteering really does make a difference. YOU are that difference!

Remember, you only get what you give. Give loads and you will get loads in return. It’s that simple.“

 

Sabrina Parmar, 22, from London

“Let me ask you a question, how much do you know about volunteering? Some of you may answer that you are volunteers actively taking part in projects across the country and giving your time for free. Others may still not have a great idea of what being a volunteer means. You may even ask what do you get out of doing work for free? Hopefully the following will help to illuminate why volunteering is such an important task and can people personally too. Firstly, volunteering is for anyone that wants to give their time for free and work for an intuition or cause that you believe in and want to help develop. Roles can range from, helping local communities to being creative and helping out at national events and so much more.

I have been actively volunteering for 7 years for different organisations and have learnt so much on my incredible journey that has taken me from tackling youth crime issues in my local community with MPs to living in Ghana, Africa for 3 months to help raise awareness of development issues. In giving my time for free I realised that I was personally getting so much out from the work I put into my volunteering projects and learning so much about the world and myself. I recently was lucky enough to take part in volunteering for Digital Documenters as a Film Reviewer Panellist judging shorts that had been made by young volunteers from across the country. The best films went onto be nominated at the amazing First Light Award Ceremony. I was totally inspired by the shorts I saw that promoted volunteering such as working with local sports groups to working at homeless shelters and all the volunteers took pleasure from giving their time for free and felt the rewards were plenty.

Take Joseph Bressington aged 20, who began volunteering at his local youth club in Bristol a year ago and has felt inspired ever since. The youth of today is a strong passion for Joseph as he feels the need to empower the youth as his youth had such a great impact on his life. He feels a great sense of satisfaction by giving back not only to his community, but also offering guidance to youths that may not have had the easiest backgrounds. He believes that the media often can stigmatise and label young people as troubled youths as opposed to giving them the tools that they need to grow and find their own path, thus he gives support to his youth club for example project artworks that invoke a fun and rewarding sense of creativity. Joseph feels that he is personally fulfilled by giving his time for free with dedication and finds that this helps him to grow too as an individual. Also the rewards that come with such a role is the ability to express yourself in a powerful way, meet new people from a diverse range of backgrounds, adds skills and experience to your CV and can open doors to future employment.

If you feel inspired by Joseph’s or even my own experience of volunteering and want to find out how you can volunteer yourself there are many opportunities for you to do this. With the Olympics round the corner in our own country there has never been a better time to start volunteering. Researching local community activities and using www.vinspired.com on the internet is often a great way to start. Speak to teachers at schools, family and friends and try to get involved as much as possible because the rewards could potentially change other people’s lives and might even change your own in the process.“