Benefits of volunteering
Volunteering connects you to others
One of the most well-known benefits of volunteering is the impact it can have on our community and those people around us. Volunteering allows you to connect to the community and to make it a better place.
Make new friends and contacts
A good way to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new to an area. It can strengthen your ties to the community and broaden your support network, exposing you to people with common interests.
Increase your social and relationship skills
While some people are naturally outgoing, others are shy and can find it hard to meet new people. Volunteering can give you the opportunity to practise and develop your social skills, since you are usually meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests.
Good for your mind and body
Volunteering provides many benefits to both mental and physical health. It can help to counteract the effects of stress, isolation and anxiety. The social contact that comes from helping and working with others will have a positive effect on your overall psychological well-being, and is extremely rewarding. Having a new routine can also benefit those who have recently retired or are away from a regular work situation. The contact that you have with others can help you develop new support networks, which in turn can protect against loneliness.
Increase your self-confidence
Working for the benefit of others and the community provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer at the Trust across Northern Devon services can also give you a sense of pride and identity. The better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals.
Volunteering provides a sense of purpose
Many younger volunteers are unsure what career pathway to take and use the opportunity to volunteer within various settings to help them decide further education options. Those who have retired or have lost a spouse, can find new meaning and direction in their lives by helping others, keeping you mentally stimulated, and give you a sense of purpose.
Volunteering makes you happy
A population – based longitudinal study, recently published in the British Medical Journal, found that those who engaged in volunteering regularly experienced higher levels of mental well-being than those who never volunteered. Other research has found that being helpful to others has a positive impact on brain activity. In short, the more we give, the happier we feel. 😊
Stay physically healthy
Volunteers tend to walk more, be more physically active and find it easier to cope with everyday tasks. Being more active can help to lower your blood pressure and help you to maintain a healthy weight and a healthy heart.
Improve your career options
Volunteering at the Trust can give you the opportunity to practise important workplace skills such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, task management and organisation. If you’re considering a new career in healthcare then volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people already working in that field. If you have taken some time out of the workplace, volunteering with us could help to refresh and update your CV.
We provide full training to help you get started
Every department and ward will be keen to ensure you feel engaged and confident in your roles with them, so once you have undertaken the Trust’s induction programme, you will then be given more specific role training where you are placed. There are some specialist roles e.g complementary therapists, where we will provide additional specific guidance and support to fulfil the tasks as relevant.