Musings of a Volunteer

Over the course of my life, I've tried to find a purpose for myself, which I guess is a natural desire for us all. In my case, volunteering for the charity and public sectors has struck me as being an obvious and worthy way of being a part of a worthy cause. So I've made this a part of my life, in many ways.

I started my volunteer journey while I was in the 6th Form doing my A Levels at the age of 16. I spent time volunteering in a classroom of disabled youngsters at Columbus School and College . This was a fantastic introduction to being a volunteer, and it showed me the benefits and privileges of interacting with society's vulnerable members. Those kids faced various problems, but their joy and bravery were amazing and inspiring to behold.

After leaving school and continuing my education through university, I kept up my voluntary projects alongside my studies. I spent a year volunteering with an RSPCA Charity Shop, which was my first experience outside a classroom and in retail. It taught me basic skills like customer service, telephone manner, and working a till. I also spent a summer volunteering for Trussell at Chelmsford Food Bank in their warehouse, where the team was a joy to work with. I helped load up the van with food parcels and served as a driver's mate in delivering them to local food banks, and this remains to this day one of my absolute favourite roles.

On graduating from university, I hustled for working experience by continuing my voluntary career. I was keen to pursue a library career, and took up some volunteering for the Essex Library Services , which taught me a great deal about how libraries work. To expand my experience further, I did more till work at Oxfam Charity Shop and did receptionist work at Citizens Advice . This latter role introduced me to various people struggling with their lives, which was humbling.

Easily my most important role was as a data input volunteer with Open Road Visions , a drug and alcohol recovery service. Keen as I was for a career as an administrator, little did I know how significant this role would turn out to be. Earning the trust of the team through my volunteer efforts led them to take me on as a business admin apprentice, which then led to a proper job as a data administrator. These projects combined add up to a six-year career with Open Road. This role has exposed me to the worst struggles that people endure, including long-term street homelessness, horrendous domestic abuse, sexual deviance and horrific mental illnesses. Helping people to deal with these problems has grown me up, matured me and made me a better person.

Alongside my voluntary efforts with Open Road, I've had the privilege of doing some fundraising for the company. I did a Lose Pounds to Gain Pounds weight loss campaign, and also a beard growth fundraiser. Probably the most fun I ever had was joining a team of my workmates in climbing Mount Snowdon. We bonded, raised cash and did a great thing. It remains to this day one of my proudest achievements.

There have been other voluntary roles, as well. One of my longest-running roles has been with the Essex Police Museum, where I've helped with their archives. I've transcribed notebooks, scanned records of service and catalogued photographs. I've learned so much about the heroism of our police force, and it's been amazing. Being an amateur archivist has been an enormous passion for me, leading me to also volunteer with The Hold - Home to Suffolk Archives and the Essex Record Office , both of which have greatly expanded my archiving repertoire. I've worked with written, audio and visual materials, providing me with an insight into certain elements of recent and far-back history.

I've also done some volunteering for the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust . At Broomfield Hospital, I've volunteered in their patient experience department, and also with their garden and grounds team. I've met various patients and staff, heard their stories, seen their good work and been glad to have met them. On the wards, I met a hospital dog who cheered up dementia patients, musicians who worked the kids' wards, and patients who were stoic and brave in the face of their problems. On the gardens and grounds, I explored far-flung woodlands and other parts of the hospital, serving as a helping hand in the work for new garden areas like the Covid-19 Memorial Garden and the Baby Bereavement Garden. What I learned from all these projects is that the NHS is formed of endless teams of outstanding heroes, and they deserve the praise they get.

All of these experiences have made my life better. I've really enjoyed contributing to them all, and I recommend volunteering for this reason.