I started volunteering at The Children's Trust because I wanted to give back to the community. I was interested in doing something locally, but I wanted to do something that would really utilise my skills. Other charities didn’t seem to have the breadth of opportunities that The Children's Trust did. I was able to volunteer initially in Fundraising, then most recently in the People Team.
I would say it’s the best thing you can ever do. People sometimes think volunteering is about giving back to others. It's not until you do it yourself that you understand just how much it can do for you too.
Volunteering during the pandemic has been so interesting because I have been able to volunteer from home. It is amazing that I can still be connected to the team whilst there is a huge pandemic happening - it really shows the adaptability of The Children's Trust.
Throughout the pandemic, we've been able to keep a team spirit mentality - we have regular meetings online even though we're all in different locations! I love that I’m included in the wider team and involved in organisational updates, it provides an extra perspective on all the different areas of The Children's Trust. It really makes you feel included in the bigger picture, and shows just how important your role as a volunteer is in supporting the aims of the wider organisation.
During the pandemic the type of volunteering I do has had to be adapted slightly, there is a different focus now. There has been a change in the projects I support as I used to be heavily involved in hands-on compliance projects, which obviously I couldn't continue as I wasn't able to go into the office. It's been really interesting to get involved in different things - in a way, I've been able to branch out more during the pandemic and try something new.
My absolute favourite thing about volunteering at The Children's Trust is the interaction with the team I work with. If anyone is thinking about volunteering, I would say it’s the best thing you can ever do. In fact, I would go further and say people sometimes think volunteering is about giving back to others. It's not until you do it yourself that you understand just how much it can do for you too.
