"Volunteering is important because you learn so much" - Volunteers speak about their roles for national celebration

As well as helping others, volunteering has been shown to have a positive impact on the lives of those who volunteer and there are plenty of organisations which have benefitted from having volunteers as part of their teams.

The art of volunteering is being celebrated as part of Volunteers Week, which runs from June 3 to June 9 and celebrates the contributions of volunteers, as well as raising awareness of the benefits and the diverse roles available for people.

Two organisations which have benefitted from volunteers and helped those volunteers to develop and thrive are the Haven and the Good Shepherd from Wolverhampton.

Both charities work within the city and surrounding areas to help vulnerable people, with the Haven helping women and children who have been affected by domestic abuse and the Good Shepherd providing help for homeless people.

Each organisation has members of staff who were previously volunteers and, through training and time, have developed new skills from volunteering and have been able to talk about what volunteering has done for them and why other people should do it.

Amy Davenport joined the Haven as a helpline duty worker, with the 33-year-old from Walsall having joined the charity as a volunteer in November 2022 and then applied for and got her current job in February 2023.

She said voluteering at the Haven had been exactly what she had needed, describing it as an amazing place.

She said: "In my younger years, I experienced quite a significant amount of domestic abuse and I just wanted to be in a position where I could be on the other side of it and help other people to get out and support them through it.

"I wasn't aware of the Haven until I volunteered there as I read up on them and realised it was the best place as they do a great job and I've not been disappointed as they've been amazing.

"I've found volunteering to be very important as I love my job, but I'm in one very specific role, whereas I could look at everything as a volunteer and there are so many different departments there which, without them, the Haven couldn't work the way it does.

"You can never have enough volunteers and, by doing it, you can decide exactly what you want to do and they can be spread out and help other departments and it gives a look into worlds that people don't necessarily know about."

Patrick Williams has been experiencing a second life with the Good Shepherd as a volunteer following a traumatic brain injury that left him unable to continue his work in civil engineering.

The 32-year-old said volunteering had inspired him to get back into being around people and said the Good Shepherd was a great place to learn as a volunteer.

He said: "I like what they do for homeless people and just everything they do to help out families people in need, so for me, it was all about giving back while I had the chance.

"In the four months I've been there, I've taken in the deliveries, moved stock around and given stuff out to the homeless such as food supplies and parcels.

"Volunteering has been really vital for me in my development as just being around people and integrating back into society has been very hard, but the Good Shepherd has been a caring and creative place and even helped me get on the LEAP programme, which will get me on the path back into work.

"It's also been really good as volunteering has taken me back to where I was before I had the injury and taken me back to where I need to be."

Haven refuge team manager Chloe Bladen said she had taken up volunteering in 2015 after being made redundant from another job and deciding to make a career change and the 39-year-old said she chose the Haven as the work was very close to her heart.

She said: "I have a personal connection to the work that we do as I've had a lived experience of domestic abuse and that's what bought me here, so I volunteered for a year and then applied for a domestic keyworker job in 2016 and have gone through the ranks since then.

"The volunteering experience was so valuable for me because I didn't have any previous experience in this sector and I've learned loads of new skills and lots of knowledge from that volunteering experience.

"National Volunteer Week is so important as I don't think people understand how important volunteers are to charity sectors and, also the career pathways that are available through volunteering."

Cate Darmody has been volunteering at the Good Shepherd for 11 years and recently started volunteering at the Central Community Shop.

The 63-year-old said she decided to go back into volunteering as she wanted to do something for someone else and wanted to help people who may be going through issues.

She said: "I got to a point in my life where I had more time because my children were older and I felt I wanted to do something for someone else, to give back to society.

"I had also had a family member who had undergone problems with alcohol and I just felt maybe I could help someone in a similar situation, even if it was just to have a chat and try and make them feel better.

"I enjoy volunteering as I think it is mainly trying to cheer people up that I find most fulfilling.

"When I was giving out the food at the Good Shepherd, I would chat to the service users and get to know them and it is important to treat people with dignity and I think it puts your own life in perspective as well.

"Even with some of the service user volunteers, they have come through a lot of problems and it is lovely to see them now at the Good Shepherd helping other people.

"That is one of the joys of volunteering."

Ruth Thompson was another person who had gone to the Haven to gain experience as a councillor and the 58-year-old, who now works as a volunteer student councillor, said she felt the Haven had been the perfect place to go to.

She said: "I'm on my level five counselling course and, as part of that course, you require a placement in order to have access to clients to do counselling, so the Haven was one of the providers of that service and I was fortunate to apply and be recruited.

"I have a passion for women and I feel quite a strong affinity to support women who are having difficulties as it's something I did from my local engagements at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Wolverhampton and I have quite a soft spot for helping women.

"Volunteering is a really good way to gain experience and knowledge in an area you want to work in and you also get access to a nice structure because the Haven is an established service with a good ethical frame work that is going to support me in learning to look after clients in a safe way.

"A week like National Volunteer Week is really important because I think that when people realise the different areas that they can volunteer in and the avenues that can open up for them, I think they'll find it's a good place to start."

To find out more about the Haven and the Good Shepherd, go to havenrefuge.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/ and gsmwolverhampton.org.uk/volunteering/