Cheryl’s Volunteer Story for SYAN event

It has been a pleasure to count voluntary work as one of my hobbies and I’ve surprised myself at how easy it is to fit in around all of life’s commitments with just a bit of planning.

There is great scope for what you can do as a volunteer and I decided to work with patients who’ve recently been discharged from hospital and need to re-adjust to everyday life once again. Often these people are lonely and just want to see a friendly face with whom they can have a chat and enjoy going out with, perhaps to do some shopping or just to get some fresh air. It’s been great meeting new people in this way and the feeling is mutual. The downside is that it can be quite hard to say goodbye to the service user when it all comes to an end, but then you just have to see it as the beginning of another adventure!

I am very glad I do voluntary work in this way and there is something for everyone. Truly I think more people of all ages should consider voluntary work if they have a couple of hours a week to spare. Younger people often have the added benefit of not having a full time job to contest with and will find volunteering not only satisfying and something to put on the CV but also a fun past time!