Volunteering in your Community
You may consider your community to be where you live, or the people you join with who share the same interests whether that is hobbies, the sport you do, the activities you engage with. It may be a community through your faith, or values based. They all have something in common though, to bring people together. Volunteering means that you are contributing your time and efforts to make a change in, or with your community, to help, to improve, to sustain and stand for something that resonates with you.
People volunteer for a whole host of reasons. Maybe it’s the cuppa and banter after the beach clean, or spotting the largest and most colourful dragonfly you have ever seen on the Dighty, right by the submerged shopping trolley and half a trike, but it meant you felt absolute joy. It’s seeing a young person smile when before they have hidden their face from you. Its understanding why for some people life is a constant battle, but by you listening and hearing they feel less alone in their fight.
Its hearing tales from a person who grew up in Dundee who ran around the streets causing mischief whilst Mum worked in the mills, and appreciating you are the only one they will spend more than five minutes with in the week. Its realising that you can be a role model in sport, drama or art, even though you thought you had failed at them all.
There are so many different areas that people will volunteer, which is great for choice but many people have no idea how to start, or they have preconceived ideas that it will be too structured or time consuming. A fear that when they agree to it that they will feel tied. So let’s see if we can dispel those concerns. When you meet with a volunteer coordinator, a representative of the organisation or community group for an informal chat to learn more, then that is your opportunity to ask those questions. state your availability and if it isn’t a match, which means it does not meet the needs of the organisation or yours, it is absolutely alright to look for something different.
Volunteering numbers have been declining for many years because of external factors and we want people to find the right fit, bringing their experience, skills and time, a set of hands, a smile and their own reasons. Volunteers Week is an ideal time to investigate what is out there. Please contact DVVA on 01382 305705 to be linked to a staff member who can talk through all options.
