Why Volunteer
People volunteer for different reasons. Most of them are led by the need and desire to help other people but volunteering also brings a number of benefits for those who volunteer both directly and indirectly. Examples include:
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Feeling of fulfilment. The main motive to volunteer is to help those who are less fortunate than us but the feeling of fulfilment is a strong motive as well. It feels good when you know that you have made someone’s day a little bit better and contributed to the cause you feel strongly about.
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Gain new experience, skills and knowledge. Through volunteering, you get new experience, skills and knowledge that may help you a lot in your life in the future. Examples include social skills, developing projects, organisational skills, etc.. Many volunteer programmes also include training that can be very useful later in life as well.
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Meet new people. Volunteering brings together all sorts of people of different backgrounds, age, education and income levels, enabling you to meet many interesting people and perhaps even make new friends.
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Help the environment. Volunteering is not just about helping people. A number of organisations that fight for a cleaner and healthier environment are relying heavily on volunteers as well. So if you think that we should look after our environment better but do not know how to help, volunteering is most certainly a good way to start.
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Get know your local community. Volunteering involves close cooperation between the volunteers which enables you to get know the community you live in a lot better. At the same time, you will get know your local community’s specific needs and a chance for your voice to be heard.
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Increase your employability and job opportunities. Experience, skills and knowledge you will get while volunteering can significantly increase your employability and job opportunities. In addition, the research shows that most UK’s businesses would employ someone who has volunteered over someone who has not.
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Have fun. Volunteers are not only exposed to a number of sad stories and other people’s suffering but they often have lots of fun as well. Even those who are less fortunate than us and need help to get through life appreciate a good joke or two.
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Boost your health. Believe it or not but volunteering can actually improve your health and increase your longevity. According to a research that was published at the NHS website, volunteers live longer than non-volunteers, have better relationship with their family, live a healthier lifestyle and have a higher self-esteem.