A charitable disposition: How to give back in a way that works for you

Giving back to good causes can come in a multitude of ways

It is universally accepted that volunteering is a good thing that helps to make the world a better place. The act of giving up your time and drawing on your skills to help a good cause not only benefits the organisation involved, but it can also boost the confidence and the mental and physical wellbeing of those who do it.

Yet, for some, volunteering can feel like a daunting prospect. Physically going out to volunteer may prove difficult if you have limited mobility, or live in an area with poor transport links. Inflexible hours can also be a barrier if you have childcare considerations.

But these barriers are not insurmountable, and there are ways to make volunteering work for you.

“There’s a huge spectrum of volunteer roles available,” says counsellor Georgina Sturmer, who has worked in charity recruitment. “This means that the possibilities are endless. But it can also mean that the choices feel overwhelming or confusing.”

Georgina – who has previously volunteered as a trustee, a counsellor, a school governor, a helpline volunteer, and a home-visiting volunteer – says before you start searching for the perfect role, you should explore your motivations for volunteering to give yourself a clearer idea of what you want to gain from the experience.

“There’s a misconception that volunteering should always be driven by altruism. It’s absolutely the case that we are often driven by wanting to do something positive or helpful, but there are lots of other reasons that might motivate us to volunteer. And the truth is that most charities will embrace this,” says Georgina.

“The more motivated and engaged you are as a volunteer, the more likely you are to be committed to the task that you’re doing – so it’s a real win-win. With this in mind, think about what you stand to gain from your time as a volunteer. Maybe you want to get out of the house more, spend time in a different environment, develop a new routine, meet new people or gain new skills. Take account of this when you are thinking about what role to take on.”

The next step is choosing where to volunteer, although there may be practical considerations about location or availability. Some organisations may be willing to adapt to remote working or flexible hours, or there may be alternative roles available that may be better suited to you, so it is worth having a conversation when you find an organisation you’d like to be involved with.

“It’s worth thinking about whether you’d like to be involved with a major national charity, a small local organisation, or something in between,” adds Georgina. “Some charities might operate under a nationally known ‘brand’ name or federation, but in practice they might look and feel like a local organisation.

“You’ll also want to think about the type of cause or campaign that fires up your passions. There is a charity or campaign for almost every interest and every sector of our community: children and young people, housing, education, international development, healthcare, wildlife – the list is endless.”

For Lydia, she chose to become a listening volunteer at Samaritans after experiencing difficulties with her own mental wellbeing in the past.

“I answered calls, emails, and text messages from people who just needed someone to listen, without fear of judgement,” she says. “I found being a listening volunteer hugely rewarding, although the nature of the role meant it certainly wasn’t easy.”

Lydia was working in a full-time admin role, travelling straight to work to her local branch for volunteering sessions on a Friday night, sometimes into the early hours of Saturday morning.

But after three years, Lydia experienced some health issues, which ultimately caused her to go into premature menopause in her early 30s.

“I was lucky that there were no physical symptoms that prevented me from going to the branch and sitting through a shift, but eventually, the mental impact of this major, and unexpected, life change took a toll,” she says. “My moods and emotions started to become more up and down, and I felt unable to support the callers as I had done previously. I also felt very fatigued, and the thought of a midnight to 3am shift at the end of the working week just felt way too much for me.”

Rather than leave Samaritans, Lydia took a six-month sabbatical before returning in another role.

“After much soul-searching, I decided that I didn’t want to return as a listening volunteer. It was a difficult decision, but one that was right for me,” she recalls. “I wasn’t ready to walk away from Samaritans, so I spoke to the branch director about what I could do behind the scenes, and took on a role as branch fundraiser, working remotely, to my own schedule. And I loved it. It gave me an enormous sense of satisfaction knowing that I was helping to support my branch and the volunteers on the frontline.”

Lydia found a volunteering role that worked around her health issues, and it is important to remember when you are considering volunteering that there are roles out there that will fit in with your own personal circumstances.

“When choosing the type of role, consider whether you would like to be at the ‘coalface’ of a charity’s work, delivering services directly in the community, or would you prefer a more managerial, fundraising or administrative role,” says Georgina. “This decision might be driven by where you are at in your life and career. Perhaps you want to develop your work skills, or continue to use them in retirement. Or perhaps you’d like a total change from the skills you’ve been using during your career.”

When applying for a volunteer role, it’s important to be realistic about the level of commitment you are able to give. “Many charities are ideally looking for volunteers who can offer a regular commitment at a fixed time. This might not be an option for you,” adds Georgina. “It’s useful to look specifically at the level of commitment that a charity is looking for. It’s always worth asking whether they can be flexible, if you need to arrange things around your other commitments.”

Wherever your volunteering journey takes you, it is important to look after your mental and emotional wellbeing to ensure that the experience is a positive and fulfilling one. This includes asking for help where needed.

As Lydia says: “I am so grateful I had that breathing space to allow myself to focus on my own mental health. After all, you can’t pour from an empty vessel.”