In aid of Volunteers Week, Claire House shares the top 5 reasons to volunteer.
The children’s hospice, which has a site on the Wirral, with a second site offering day services in West Derby, currently has over 970 volunteers.
Reason 1 – Giving Something Back
For every volunteer Claire House or any other charity receives, this is another dedicated individual helping the cause. Whether that is helping to raise vital funds in shops, entertaining the children supported, helping in the gardens or providing food to families staying in the hospice.
By giving something back to a local charity, you are not only helping the hospice as it is today, you are helping to serve a need that continues to grow. With Claire House volunteering equating on average, to over 220,000 hours, their contribution is helping to save the hospice money which can then be put into care, support and developing the services.
Reason 2 – Knowing the Difference you are Making
For some of the volunteers at Claire House, they have chosen to volunteer because they have been helped by the hospice or someone close to them has. This not only drives their need to give something back but also they know first-hand, the impact the charity can have on the children it supports and their families.
All of our volunteers are kept informed of what their support means to the children and families Claire House provides care to. Alongside the regular updates, Claire House also have recognition events where volunteers who have served either 5, 10, 15 or 20 years are invited to attend.
Reason 3 – Learn New Skills
Claire House ensure that all of our volunteers are trained for the role they have, helping to develop skills already there and those required for the jobs they will participate in.
Like other charities, Claire House also provide the opportunity for our volunteers to gain qualifications. The hospice has enabled its volunteers to acquire NVQs in Customer Service and Retail, to name a few.
For some, volunteering at Claire House has enabled them to gain confidence and work experience to help them in their future careers. One such shop volunteer said “Volunteering has completely changed my outlook on life and has given me the skills and the confidence to go into employment.”
Reason 4 – A Sense of Wellbeing
In recent years, there has been a big focus on wellbeing. When speaking with our volunteers, Claire House found that so many of them gained a sense of wellbeing by being able to give something back.
By giving up their time for a good cause, volunteering has been proven to do wonders for a person’s physical and mental health. Stress levels can reduce and your overall mood can improve, helping to create a sense of wellbeing, whether a person is comfortable, healthy and happy.
Reason 5 – Friendship and Teamwork
Many of the volunteers at Claire House stay with the hospice for a long time. Over the time of their service helping the charity, they gain long friendships both from other volunteers as well as the staff they work with.
This friendship leads to even closer teamwork, which is key for charities. When teams work closely together there is a sense of unity and productivity increases, making a significant difference to the day-to-day of the charity.
If you would like to volunteer at Claire House, complete the form here.
