Volunteering - fun, fulfilling and the employment skills you need
Published on 05 October 2021 01:31 PM
We spoke to volunteer, Sophia, about her experience
Sophia joined Age UK Westminster’s amazing team of office volunteers in 2019. This team provide the vital service of handling telephone enquiries, providing signposting support and being the first point of contact for Westminster’s residents and their families.
During these two years, Sophia was able to use the skills, knowledge and experience she gained to gain employment in an administrative role with the NHS. ‘Volunteering at Age UK Westminster gave me the chance to develop skills in assessing problems and identifying possible courses of action, managing high volumes of calls during peak periods, prioritising work and situations. I also learned how to update clients’ information on the database.’
Susan Mustafa, Senior Information & Advice Co-ordinator said: ‘It is so important for our clients to be able to speak to a person. But it’s not an easy role. You never know what question you are going to be asked next! Our volunteers make such a difference, but we are always proud when they are able to use their experience to get paid work.’
Volunteering can be a great way to get the experience you need, or to refresh your confidence, to get into employment. But it is so much more. Sophia’s words for anyone thinking about volunteering are: ‘I would highly recommend it. It is a wonderful way to develop your social skills and work with a friendly and fantastic team of colleagues. It provides you with a sense of purpose by helping the local community. It can teach you valuable job skills and you gain career confidence. It’ll bring fun and fulfilment to your life.’
If you would like to volunteer, you can read more about our opportunities here:
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