JVN Blog

If you’re volunteering it’s not uncommon to ask yourself whether you can really make a difference. Volunteering can be a real challenge, and when you don’t see any obvious effects it can be downright frustrating – but just because you can’t see the results, it doesn’t mean they’re not there.

Whatever your chosen charity, it can be easy to get discouraged when you can’t see immediate results. However, volunteering has a huge impact, especially when you look at the big picture, where your work is added to other volunteers’ efforts. By volunteering you can:

Help raise awareness about a cause

Raising awareness is a problem that most, if not all, charities face, especially the smaller ones. With most charities having an income of less than £100,000 a year, even small donations can have a big impact. Many charities strive to spread the word about the issues they are fighting for, with the clear goal in mind of educating as many people as possible. The more people know, the better the chances that the charity can get better results for their cause. If a volunteer manages to educate even one person, it’s a step in the right direction. Volunteers can help with this by spreading flyers, talking to people, or using the Internet and social media to spread the word. When it comes to charities general awareness really is crucial.

Help victims directly by listening, caring, and supporting them

Volunteers can help in various ways when dealing directly with the people affected. By coming into contact with people, you can make a big difference in their lives. You can cook and serve food. Or, you could help by simply spending time with someone – either a young person that you can mentor, or a patient that is alone most of the day and needs some companionship.

Volunteers can also communicate with victims of assault and abuse, helping them just by talking with and listening to them. These simple acts can make a big difference in a victim’s life.

Help find potential donors

Even though volunteers might not always be able to part with their, they can still help find potential donors. By reaching out to people, making phone calls and generally helping spread the word, you can find people that do have the ability to donate to the charity you work for. Even the smallest donations mean a lot to charities and without the help of volunteers, potential donors would be much more difficult to find. Volunteers can help organise events, such as fundraisers, and find people to attend in order to help raise more money for their organisation. The thing to keep in mind is that a little money really can make a huge difference. A tetanus jab can cost as little as 5p, and will literally save a child’s life.

Help get things done

Sometimes it’s as simple as going out and getting things done, whether it’s cleaning and picking up rubbish in your neighborhood or your local park, or planting trees and helping keep the waters clean. You could get hands on with building, furnishing, or decorating a new school or home in communities in need. A safe place to learn and live should never go underappreciated.

These are all necessary practical acts that help make the world a better place.

And last but not least, volunteering helps the volunteer

Volunteering not only makes a huge difference to the lives of the people that are helped, but also for those who volunteer. Volunteering has lots of different benefits to those who use their free time to help others, such as:

–       Meeting new and interesting people and making new friends

–       Learning new skills

–       Giving a sense of self-worth and even helping fight depression

–       Helping boost your CV

–       Helping you become part of your community

All in all, volunteering, even for as little as a few hours every week, makes a huge difference for your charity, the cause it supports, and you.

If you want some ideas of volunteering you could do, register on the JVN website and have a look at our network of charities. For more information give us a call on 0208-203-6427.