Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames’ Post

This week is National Volunteer Week 2024. Reading comments about other people's experiences of volunteering,  what is common throughout is the genuine joy and sense of purpose it brings. Last year I re-evaluated my life and decided that I wanted to create more space to invest in volunteering. I wanted to find a way to connect my interests and passions with causes that could benefit from my skillset. 🌳I put time towards conservation volunteering for the Countryside Regeneration Trust where I have learnt new skills (👇 see photo of a morning of dry stone walling!) 🛠 Our village recently acquired our pub and I have loved being part of the Saturday working parties. 👧And this year I have been introduced to the wonderful GFS. Through these opportunities, I have gained so much: 🌟I have met some inspiring and interesting people from so many different backgrounds who have a common purpose. 🌟I have found myself smiling much more as I have found a balance I was lacking before. 🌟I am making a difference in fields that whilst I am not an expert in, I can be useful. 📣📣Call to Action! If you are looking for volunteering opportunities, please do consider GFS who work with girls in the most deprived areas of England and Wales, providing early intervention to build confidence and pride in who they are. There are lots of ways to get involved and I have learnt that whilst it's not always easy to balance everything, a little help can go a long way. Please check out their website  - details in comments. #volunteer

💬 🤔 Ever wondered what the long-term personal benefits of volunteering are? In this blog, we go over the connections, perspective, empathy, and more you can gain from volunteering with MEDLIFE. To learn more, click below! #BenefitsOfVolunteering #VolunteerAbroad #GainPerspective

Today is world volunteer’s day Here are the reasons why I like Volunteering, 1. Sense of Purpose: Volunteering gives me sense of meaning and fulfillment by contributing to a sector I care about. 2. Social Connection: It provides me the opportunities to meet new people and form meaningful relationships. 3. Skill Development: Volunteering helps me to learn new skills and gain experience. 4. Personal Growth: Helping others boosts my self-esteem and provide a sense of accomplishment. 5. Community Impact: It allows me to make a positive impact on my community, which can be very rewarding. 6. Gratitude and Perspective: Volunteering often puts my life into perspective and can increase my gratitude for what i have.

📢 Volunteering is KEY! 🔑 Last Saturday, I had an incredible experience volunteering at the City of Chesapeake Adopt-A-Highway Cox Communications, Inc. Chairman’s Challenge Event. And I met two amazing individuals, Amanda Mapp, MBA & Sade Snowden, who are now part of my network! Here are three compelling reasons why volunteering is a powerful networking opportunity: 1️⃣ Expand Your Circle: Volunteering introduces you to a diverse group of people. Whether it’s fellow volunteers, organizers, or community members, you’ll connect with individuals from various backgrounds and professions. 2️⃣ Showcase Your Skills: Volunteering allows you to demonstrate your abilities beyond your regular job. Whether you’re organizing an event, leading a team, or contributing your expertise, others notice your commitment and competence. These experiences can lead to professional connections and referrals. 3️⃣ Shared Purpose: When you volunteer, you’re part of a collective effort to make a positive impact. This shared purpose creates a strong bond among volunteers. Networking becomes natural as you collaborate toward a common goal. 🏅 Please share your positive volunteering experiences! Let’s inspire others to join us in making a difference. #Volunteer #Networking #CommunityImpact #MakeADifference

Why I Choose Volunteering? Because it can bring a great sense of fulfilment and happiness for a variety of reasons: 1. Making a difference: Volunteering allows you to contribute to causes and organizations that you are passionate about, making a positive impact on the world around you. 2. Building connections: Volunteering often involves working with a diverse group of people, providing opportunities to build new relationships and connections. 3. Personal growth: Volunteering can help you develop new skills, gain valuable experience, and broaden your perspective on the world. 4. Sense of purpose: Volunteering gives you a sense of purpose and meaning, as you can use your time and talents to help others in need. 5. Gratitude and perspective: Volunteering can help you appreciate what you have and gain a new perspective on your own life and challenges. Overall, volunteering can bring a sense of joy and fulfilment that comes from giving back to your community and making a positive impact on the world. Regards.

Why do you volunteer? Conducted an onboarding session for new volunteers at Punggol 21 CC recently and had the opportunity to share my volunteering journey. I started volunteering 18 years ago not knowing what I was getting into. The first question I asked was, “What’s the time commitment?” and the next was “What do you need me to do?” I didn’t want to sign up for something which I isn’t really ready for or is unable to commit to. Fast forward, my volunteering journey has been a fulfiling one. As I shared during the session, you probably wouldn’t believe it, it was volunteering that helped to build my confidence in public speaking. The past three years had been a journey. I’m always grateful to Yeo Wan Ling who had given me many opportunties. I remembered during the pandemic, we were conducting block visits, unit by unit and knocking on doors. We knew that we need to keep the residents engaged and had many late night discussions and made many impromptu plans. Today, what we have done in the past three years are kept close to my heart. These are stories that I would share whenever I can. I believe that volunteeering is not about self, it is about how every individual can come together for a common cause to do good together. Volunteering is a strange thing. It’s addictive, and the kind of returns you expect are priceless, not monetary but the smiles you see. What we can collective continue to do is to spread the positivity and get more people to come onboard to volunteer. Are you ready for it? #volunteerism

Unlocking Happiness and Professional Growth Through Volunteering In the world of social media, many opportunities are popping up for students and professionals to volunteer in different movements. With my experience of working with volunteers for over four years, I truly believe that giving back to the community can make you happy and help you grow. Volunteering gives you a sense of purpose and lets you make a positive difference in others' lives. It also lets you build strong relationships with people who share your values. Being kind and helping others through volunteering can make you feel happier and less stressed. It can boost your confidence and satisfaction too. Volunteering isn't just about giving, it's also about gaining. It can help you learn new skills, meet new people, and improve your resume, making you more appealing to potential employers. Volunteering is a win-win situation that benefits both you and the community. It's a way to find happiness and grow both personally and professionally. So, why not give it a try and see how it can positively impact your life? #Volunteering #Happiness #PersonalGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #CommunityDevelopment

We learned more about the Big Help Out campaign this week… What you need to know… 1. The Big Help Out campaign is to help attract new people into volunteering and is taking place 7-9th June 2024 (aligning with Volunteers’ Week) 2. The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness of volunteering throughout the uk, to provide opportunities for people to experience volunteering and make a difference in their communities. 3. The opportunity to ‘give volunteering a go’ doesn’t have to take place in the exact window - lots of type of activities across the summer could be linked to Big Help Out! (And… this doesn’t have to be something new… if you do monthly taster sessions… this could be promoted via the Big Help Out campaign) 4. You can register your volunteering opportunities on the www.volunteering-wales.net website and link them to a Big Help Out category - so people can search for those opportunities 5. A partner pack is available with bilingual resources - thebighelpout.org.uk (a pack is also available for schools, although unfortunately not bilingually) If you’re not already connected with other volunteering involving organisations locally, you can get in touch with your local Volunteer Centre in Wales - find yours here Home - Third Sector Support Wales (scroll down to bottom of page) Or if you’re a national organisation involving volunteers in Wales and need more support, please get in touch with me @WCVA (or here). #VolunteersWeek #WythnosGwirfoddolwyr #TheBigHelpOut #BHO #Wales #VolunteerManagement #ThankYou #Diolch #TSSW Want some examples? 1. Volunteer information sessions - could current volunteers share more about what they do? 2. Volunteer taster sessions - what can volunteers ‘give a go’ 3. A micro volunteering task I.e. social media contribution, 4. Your longer term volunteering roles might be attractive to some people looking for this

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂... • At first, you might feel a bit uncomfortable. • The impact you see may seem small initially. • You won’t notice massive changes right away. • It will require a commitment of your time. • There might even be moments when you feel like giving up! But here’s what will also happen: • You’ll gain invaluable life skills 💪 like leadership, empathy, and problem-solving. • Your perspective will broaden 🌍 as you experience diverse situations. • You’ll uncover new passions 🔥 that will drive you to make positive changes. • You’ll form lifelong connections 🤝 built on shared purpose and impact. • Your efforts will inspire others 💫, motivating more good in your community. • And you’ll feel deeply fulfilled 😌 from making a real difference. 𝗠𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲? Accept that this is a meaningful journey. Show up whenever there is a volunteering opportunity you care about. I promise the rewards will be life-changing. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙨 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨. 𝗣.𝗦. Have you ever volunteered? Share your experience! (Repost to inspire others ♻️)

Have you ever thought of volunteering your professional skills and experience in a worthy cause? There's a free webinar to help you recognise the unique skills you offer, to identify a cause that matches your passions, and how to make the most of your volunteering experience. #volunteer #charity #probono https://lnkd.in/eWMGJz7Z