Volunteering - How it helps YOU!
Beverley Jones
?? Motivational, Experienced, Award Winning Transformational Event & Conference Speaker | Author | TEDx Volunteer | Media Contributor Helping audiences to avoid Burnout by turning Chaos into Calm
Are you a Volunteer? Do you give any of your time away freely?
This week is National Volunteering Week so I thought I would just jot a few words down in an article to note the benefits that come with be an active volunteer.
I commenced my volunteering journey way back in 2012 and have been an active volunteer for a number of organisations ever since. I have spoken out about mental health stigma and discrimination as a Time to Change Wales Champion (where I carried out my 100th talk above in 2016) ; In 2017 I won Mentor of the Year from Business Wales as a volunteer mentor; I have hosted my own radio show on a local community hospital radio and I have helped raised ￡60k towards a new church roof in my local village.
But this isn't about what I have done as a volunteer it is all about what volunteering has done for me, are just a few ways in which it has enriched my life:
- It has given me confidence to work as a public speaker
- It has lifted my self-esteem
- It has been full-filling and is a great way to give back
- It has introduced me to a large network of people across the country
- It has helped my mental health and well-being
- It has given me new skills - I have learnt so much across so many areas of life and business
- It has given me insights to many areas of life from mental health to media work
and I am sure there is much more. They say volunteers don't get paid because they are priceless however I believe that actually volunteers don't get paid as the learning and fulfillment they gain is so valuable that indeed it can't be bought.
To celebrate National Volunteers Week I am working with a large organisation to hold an event where we are bringing charities and organisations together to inform staff what is out there for them to get involved in. The company actually allocates the staff 'x' number of hours a year to go off site to volunteer - personally I think this is a win win for both the staff and the charity.
If your not involved in volunteering then have a think about it - trust me you will get more back from the experience than you can ever give.
To check our organisation days and how they can help you take a look at our website here
https://www.awakencoaching.co.uk/the-corporate-angel