Blogpost by Nishall Garala

Why not volunteer?

MANY people say, why volunteer when you can get paid, I say otherwise. People choose to volunteer for a variety of reasons. For some it offers the chance to give something back to the community or make a difference to the people around them. For others it provides an opportunity to develop new skills or build on existing experience and knowledge. Regardless of the motivation, what unites them all is that they find it both challenging and rewarding.

Whilst you’ll want to make a real difference when you volunteer, it’s not just about what you can do for others. Volunteers get a lot out of the experience too.

Volunteering can do so much not only but for your CV but also your health;
Give your CV a boost – Time Bank UK, did a survey of some of the UK’s leading businesses and 73% said they’d employ someone who’s volunteered over someone who hasn’t.

Improve your confidence – You’ll learn and do things that you might not normally get the chance to – this can be a real confidence boost.

Get back into work – It’s a great way to get a reference and fill gaps in your work experience. You can also try out different types of work to get a taster – which can really help you if you’re looking for a job or want to change direction.

Meet new people– you’ll probably meet people from different cultures and backgrounds that you might not normally. Volunteering with people who are as passionate about a cause as you are is a great way to meet like-minded people.

As a volunteer I love it and I don’t know what else I’d do with my time if I didn’t volunteer! It really inspires you to do new things and once you’ve done a bit of volunteering it’s easy to become addicted! Sometimes just getting out meeting new people and trying new things can help you feel more connected, happy and confident.

So why not from this month start volunteering and make a difference the local community and encourage others as well, as it is life changing.