Do good, feel good: The mood-boosting benefits of volunteering
Volunteer at Mary’s Living & Giving/ Save the Children.
Volunteers’ Week, 1-7 June, is an annual UK celebration to recognise the contribution volunteers make. The benefits of volunteering and helping others are easy to see, but the effort isn’t entirely altruistic. There’s lots in it for you too. Voluntary work provides you with: satisfaction, purpose and structure, social interaction, improved self-esteem, new, and transferable, skills and potentially job prospects.
Numerous studies have shown how beneficial volunteering in later life is, with associations ranging from lower mortality risk, reduced risk of dementia, better blood pressure and greater physical strength to improved wellbeing, quality of life and self-esteem, and fewer depressive symptoms.
Volunteer at the Million Mile Beach Clean. Photo: Surfers Against Sewage
Jane Murphy, who volunteers at St Christopher’s Hospice, says: ‘Volunteering at my local hospice, supporting carers through coaching and weekly phone calls, enables me to put my own past experiences as a carer to good use to help others. It’s helped me to salvage something positive from some very sad and miserable experiences – and enables me to “give something back” to the organisation that supported me.’ Jane also produces fundraising zines in aid of the hospice, with her husband: see Colossive Press.
And don’t worry that you’re too busy, or can’t commit to a regular stint. Volunteering needn’t be limited to large, regular chunks of time; it can be short, one-off periods, as little as a couple of hours a week, an hour a month, or a more fluid, ongoing arrangement.
Teacher at a Prendergast Vale school who runs a gardening club for parent volunteers. Just Giving page HERE.
My own volunteering history includes shaking charity tins in the street, pulling pints at Glastonbury Festival, knitting mice for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, recording birds for the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, and butterflies for Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count. Currently I litter-pick with a local group, manage my choir’s Twitter account, and foster for Cats Protection, looking after cats who need a permanent home (we have a current resident). It’s sad to say goodbye to a cat when they leave with their new ‘forever family’, but there’s a warm, fuzzy feeling from that new relationship between feline and human.
Sadly, the numbers of people doing voluntary work has fallen post-pandemic. According to the Government’s Community Life Survey, in 2021/2022 27% of 50-to 64-year-olds had formally volunteered at least once in the previous year. However, the total number of voluntary work participants – seven million – is now the lowest since the survey began.
Volunteer at the National Trust.
Volunteers at Wrap Up London
How to find the right role
Decided to give something back? The National Council for Voluntary organisations, the membership community for charities, voluntary organisations and community groups in England has links to volunteer centres, and advice on finding the right volunteering role.
Think about what interests or excites you. This could be something you enjoyed doing before, or something completely new. Think about what time or skills you can give. With so many opportunities to choose from, it’s a great idea to narrow down the choices by deciding what you’re willing to give.
Keep an eye out around you, checking out local press, and noticeboards in shops, cafés, church halls and parks. And search online for ‘volunteering near me’.
Search CharityJob, the UK’s busiest site for charity jobs and volunteering opportunities.
Do-it.org is a database of UK volunteering opportunities. Search more than a million volunteering opportunities by interest, activity or location then apply online.
Get Volunteering has thousands of opportunities in 18 categories.
The Gov.UK website has advice on your rights as a volunteer, and on pay and expenses.
Of course, it’s not all kittens and rainbows: unpaid work can bring the challenges of any form of employment: unpleasant customers or colleagues, frustrating systems and just ‘bad days’. But giving freely of your time and skills can change lives – and one of them could be yours.
Adrienne Wyper is a health and lifestyle writer and regular TNMA contributor.
Discussion (11 Comments)
Adrienne Wyper says:
I totally agree re saying thanks. It means so much, even when you’ve been paid to work. No one wants to feel unappreciated!
Mrs Tonia says:
An encouraging article Adrienne. Thanks for highlighting the falloff in volunteers post pandemic.
What did I do in an earlier stage of life ? Help with admin for after school clubs. Do admin and take fees for yoga teacher in exchange for reduced class price and to help out.
Work one afternoon a week on a regular basis at my local Oxfam bookshop. Dangerous because as I priced books I also took home a pile.
Now I do none of these things. I continue to buy and regift books plus those from my library to Oxfam bookshop near my home. So I am continuing to support this charity with goods if not my labour.
I also donate clothing, household goods and other categories to charity shops near me.Gill says:
I’ve been volunteering at a tree nursery in a community forest since the first lockdown. It was a lifesaver at the time – out in the fresh air, meeting new people (socially distanced in those days) and looking after plants. Fantastic way to spend time & I would recommend it to everyone.
JoanCecile says:
I agree, Mrs. Tonia. This is an important and well written article. And, we must be about the same age. I, too, now purchase and give away or donate books. Growing older can be about activity and staying engaged. Or, just as valuable, aging can give us space and time for reflection and peace. I choose the later.
Annie says:
Had no idea I’d be doing my first bit of volunteering stint in actual Volunteers’ Week! I’m starting at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne and looking forward to it hugely. Currently brushing up on the new Barbara Hepworth show so I can sound at least halfway intelligent if visitors ask me questions….. and trying to remember which floors the loos are on.
Diane says:
Wonderful article! Here in the US we have Week of Service beginning June 5. I’m still working and am fortunate my firm has organized four different options throughout the week (and each office has done the same, different cities). Love your blog, from NYC!
MaureenC says:
Great article I’ve always enjoyed the bits and pieces of voluntary work I’ve done. As you say it can be a one off for instance as an actor I’ve done a voiceover for a promotional film for a local organisation and been a co-editor on a book. However I suspect that the drop in volunteer numbers is being impacted by the current cost of living crisis and steeply rising bills. I’ve noticed that several friends who have retired have had to go back to some paid work not out of choice but necessity. Also during the week our local parks seem to be full grandparents doing unpaid childcare to support their working children who can’t afford to pay for nursery. I’m sure many enjoy it but again it’s become a necessity rather than a choice. The knock on impact of losing the many able older volunteers on community organisations is really serious for many localities.
So true, Maureen. The cost of living crisis has affected numbers, and I think that’s why it will take more than The Big Help Out to encourage volunteers…
Kerin says:
I’ve done lots of volunteering for organizations that do good in the community over the years, but recently felt the need to work more on the “front lines” directly with people in need. Where I live (Los Angeles), it can be difficult to find service opportunities as an individual. I recently joined a very active group of women at my church and did my first homeless shelter volunteering directly serving homeless families and it was SO gratifying and eye-opening, and good for the soul.
Anne Lajoie says:
I am a long time volunteer and it has kept me sane during COVID when a planned summer hiatus to seek a new career turned into early retirement. I volunteer at a food bank and a women’s centre, these organizations may face different challenges but they both rely on a full roster of volunteers.
Having worked for a non-profit is a bonus, I am known in the community and it’s great that I can use my expertise to organize events, raise funds and help wherever an extra pair of hands is needed.
I am getting more satisfaction volunteering than when I worked. I decide on how many hours I give (too many according to my friends and family) and have used my initiative to spearhead new projects which have always been appreciated.
My body may not be happy to lift heavy boxes at the food bank but my head and my heart know that this is what I was meant to do – serve the community.
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A wonderful article. I volunteer once a week at a non-profit co-operative radio station, along with helping out at special events throughout the year. The things I enjoy most are learning about the station’s operations, meeting people, and feeling appreciated every time I go there. The most important thing organizations that have volunteers must do is say THANK YOU, ideally in person, or send something in writing (a letter or an e-mail).