"If it wasn’t for volunteering all those years ago I wouldn’t be doing the job that I love and working with people and volunteers who are the best!!"
In this volunteer round-up meet Guy – SOAR’s Health Services Manager.
Volunteering enables people to play an active role in their community and contribute to positive social change. It can help breakdown social barriers and offer people an opportunity to socialise with people from different walks of life. SOAR is incredibly lucky to work alongside volunteers, partners & North Sheffield communities. We got in touch with Guy, our Health Services Manager, who once was a volunteer at a crossroads career wise, but knew they had to do a job that put something back into the community.
This is his volunteer journey so far…
I started volunteering when I moved back to Sheffield many years ago. I was at a crossroads in what I wanted to do career wise, but knew I had to do a job that put something back into the community.
I saw volunteering as a key way to working within the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS), and lucky for me my workplace (what was Norwich Union) allowed me to set up a reading project ‘right to read’ at a local Primary School. I got the bug and started to teach English (ESOL) to Refugees through Refugee Education & Employment Project (REEP) and community mediation through Mediation Sheffield (MESH).
Within a year I successfully got my first VCS job supporting a small grants scheme in Burngreave, and then onto SOAR. The rest is history! I got to meet new people, experience a different approach to work, learn new skills and get accredited training!
What would you say to somebody who’s thinking about volunteering? Try it………. You don’t have to commit long-term and it is usually flexible around your home and work arrangements. It is such a great way to give something back, think differently and meet people. If it wasn’t for volunteering all those years ago I wouldn’t be doing the job that I love and working with people & volunteers who are the best!!
If you’re interested to find out how you can start volunteering, please get in touch with our Communities’ Team on communities@soarcommunity.org.uk or 0114 213 4067.
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