Oliver, 30, volunteers with Trafford Carers Centre.
I got involved with volunteering after seeing a leaflet advertising volunteering positions with the Carers’ Connection. I thought this was a good way to give something back to society. Also, with the pandemic going on, some might have faced greater challenges than before and these supportive calls meant a way for them to stay connected with society or just to provide some company during the lockdown periods.
My role is Volunteer Befriender (also named as volunteer at the Carers' Connection project because some carers found the befriender word offensive - it could suggest that they did not have any friends). I call carers on a regular basis where they can talk about anything they wanted to and seek support that they might not receive from friends/relatives or are afraid to ask/talk about certain subjects.
Volunteering has helped me to pay more attention to maintain and improve my mental health. The reason behind that is the knowing that people count on me sharing my time with them which meant some sort of responsibility for me - also the beneficial joy of being useful and busy during lockdown. It can sometimes make me feel busy or overwhelmed a tad, but altogether it's a good experience to help people and being able to do so. My personal favourite moments are when they pick up the phone (and sort of forgot about the arranged time), realising it's their time and their voices become lively, energised and excited.
I would recommend volunteering to everyone, especially if you have found the right field for you - may it be support calls, cleaning public areas, any collecting-distributing projects (Christmas gifts, foodbank, etc). It is a worthy experience for a lifetime that cannot be bought or forgotten.
What song best sums up your volunteering experience:
I would find Rise up from Andra Day fitting which represents process, progress and the nature of the project I'm with.
