Why I volunteer... it's not why you'd expect

MJ has been volunteering in the Marketing and Communications team at Garden House Hospice Care since August last year. In this article, she shares the reasons why she volunteers and what she has gained from her experience so far.

What are people's reasons for volunteering?

A quick Google search asking why people volunteer and you'll see the top two answers are "wanting to support a cause" and "to give something back to a community". There is no doubt these are wonderful reasons to get involved with volunteering, but what if I told you that it is okay to get into volunteering to also get something out of it for yourself and that doing it for that reason makes you just as amazing?

To be honest, I wasn't originally looking to volunteer at Garden House Hospice Care, but a friend who works there helped me to see that it was an option.

Volunteering can help with your career

I was made redundant about a year ago after coming back from maternity leave and decided to take the opportunity to change careers. After seven years of marketing in a global company, I wanted to focus more on digital marketing and social media, and explore opportunities working with smaller businesses. I enrolled in online courses to boost my knowledge, but was struggling to take the next step. It was a classic "catch-22" situation; I needed experience to get a job, but no one would give me a job to get the experience.

I reached out to my wider network for advice and the same day, received a message from someone I know who works for the Hospice. After exchanging a few messages back and forth about what I was looking to get out of my next step, it became apparent it was actually my lack of confidence that was holding me back. I had the knowledge through the training I had completed, but what I needed was somewhere that I could sit-in with a digital marketing team and develop my skills without the pressure or expectations of delivering in a role. That's when becoming a Marketing Volunteer was suggested.

Changing perceptions of volunteering

I've learned volunteer roles aren't just those you see in shops.

I had always thought of volunteer roles as the visible ones you see out in the community: the people that deal with donations in the shops or the ones who wear the t-shirts and collect the cash at fundraising events. But it turns out pretty much every aspect of a charity would be grateful to have volunteers.

I recently found out that thanks to the 800+ volunteers currently supporting the Hospice, an incredible £500,000 in staffing costs is saved every year. That money can instead be spent on keeping the Hospice running, and continuing the high standard of care that is given to everyone who accesses support here.

Since joining the Marketing team at the office in Letchworth, I've adapted to their ways of working and started to take the theory from my courses and translate it into the real world. I've taken on a project to review the analytics across all of the Hospice's social media platforms, and discovered that I really do love the nerdy facts and figures that sit behind the entertaining reels!

Volunteering can help with your mental health

It's not just the professional development that I've benefited from as a volunteer either. Over the last year at home since having my second child and losing my job, I've really struggled with anxiety. Although I was enjoying looking after my daughter and having the time to complete online courses, I was also isolating myself from friends and cancelling more and more plans. At its worst I struggled to even leave the house. The longer it went on for, the worse my mental health was becoming and my self-confidence was at an all-time low. Although I was desperate to move on and get back into the work place, the feelings of fear about doing something new and the doubt I had developed about my own abilities was pretty crippling.

I can't quite explain to you how nervous I was on my first day volunteering. I went armed with the back-up plan in my mind that if it was a total disaster then I never had to go back again. I had to remind myself, however, that I had come this far despite how I was feeling, so it was worth taking a look! I can honestly say that from the moment I arrived at the Hospice, it was obvious I had made the right decision. Everyone I met was incredibly warm and welcoming. The team have been so supportive and encouraging and have given me some brilliant opportunities to develop my skills already... including writing this blog!

Working together with Megan, one of the Hospice's Digital Marketing Officers.

Over the weeks I've been volunteering, I've felt my confidence grow and have reached the point where I can now start to push myself out of my (dis)comfort zone. I'm challenging myself to chat to a new person every time I go in, and you won't be surprised to hear that each individual I have spoken to has been lovely! I've even had staff thank me when I tell them I'm a volunteer, which just goes to show how much it means to them.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to capture video footage and photo content at a community member's 100th birthday party. I loved meeting some of the people who come in for the weekly social groups. The joy in the room was infectious; these community hubs mean so much to so many people who would otherwise be sat on their own at home.

If you had told me a couple of months ago that I would be going to an event where with lots of people I didn't know or that I would be part of the social media coverage for it... well, I'm not sure if I would have laughed or cried at the thought! It turned out to be one of the best things I've done in a long time. How many people can say they've been to a 100th birthday party?

Here I am having a laugh with the birthday boy, 100-year-old Dick Tyler.

It's okay to get something out of volunteering for YOU

Fast forward a few months, and my confidence has grown so much. Thanks to the practical experience that I've gained from volunteering with the Marketing team, I feel ready to start working towards achieving my own goals. I'm currently supporting friends with setting up and improving their social media accounts for their small businesses, and would like one day to turn that in to a business of my own.

There are so many more opportunities to volunteer with Garden House Hospice Care than you can probably think of. If you are looking to develop new skills or progress your career or are struggling at the moment and feel like you're on your own, I can honestly say from my own experience that volunteering and being part of the team has been life-changing. It's given me a reason to leave the house and a focus outside of the difficulties I was experiencing.

Another benefit of volunteering is its flexibility. You only do as many hours as you can give; I currently do one day a week to fit in around the school run. Your interest and willingness to be involved is of value to the Hospice, so get in touch as I promise they will be pleased to hear from you!

If you are interested in volunteering at the Hospice, please call the Volunteer Engagement team on 01462 679540 or email volunteers@ghhospicecare.org.uk.