Why is it great to volunteer - and why should we all be doing it? - Life skills

It might be something that you have never thought about doing or you don’t feel you have time to make that type of commitment, especially if you are working full-time and money isn’t the drive to spare a few hours. 

Firstly, volunteering is a ‘pick 'n' mix’ of opportunities; some require our time for longer and others a lot shorter. It can then become easier to set aside some time to lend a helping hand. 

The most important and probably most obvious reason why I advocate giving up your time now and again is that it helps people. How well do you feel when someone helps you? Wouldn't it be great to give that same feeling to someone else? 

For most, it is very easy to get wrapped up in everything that only impacts our lives. From my personal experience, the biggest things I get from volunteering are: 

A purpose. We have all probably had moments or down periods in our life. I always find after volunteering I feel more content and happier in my mind and life, and that is just from giving up a few hours or a day of my time. 

The people. Volunteering means meeting people whether that is your fellow volunteers or people who are benefiting from you being there. A simple conversation can put a smile on your face. More importantly, you get to be around people that would never have met and sometimes they become a big part of your life. 

A lesson. We can become so trapped in our own lives that sometimes we can fail to see things around us. I am forever learning when I volunteer whether it is from engaging in conversations or for the organisation you are helping, you will get to learn more about what they do and the help they need. 

But why not take a peek at the numerous other reasons to volunteer! 

If we all do a little more - imagine what could happen.