Rebecca’s Story: “Volunteering got me back into a place of living, rather than existing” 

The first week of June marks Volunteers’ Week, a time to celebrate the compassion, dedication and vital contributions of our volunteers to our clients in our mental health services. 

This year, we met up with Rebecca to hear about her personal experience volunteering with Second Step as a client feedback volunteer and the impact it had on her life. 

“I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery since arriving in Bristol” 

When Rebecca first moved to Bristol, the transition was far from easy. She felt isolated and lacked structure and routine in her day-to-day life which made it difficult to get out and form new connections: 

“I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery since arriving in Bristol two and a half years ago,” says Rebecca, “I struggled with connection, communication, relationship building, not having a sense of belonging, not feeling good enough and struggling with my mental health.” 

Rebecca’s goal was to work with people who experience multiple disadvantage (i.e. people who face a combination of complex challenges, such as mental health and homelessness), however, she found her lack of direct experience was a barrier to gaining employment. 

Then she saw an advert for volunteer positions as a way of gaining the experience she needed, and attended an event held by Second Step to find out more about what we do: 

“I went to the Connect Together event at the M-Shed a couple of years ago and felt inspired by all that I heard and the people I spoke to. I came away thinking I would like to work for Second Step, to be surrounded by people who are keen to make a difference and whose values align with my own.” 

Rebecca applied to our volunteering team and was offered the role of client feedback volunteer. This role involved contacting clients who had used our mental health services to gather their feedback about their experiences. These calls offer valuable insights that help us improve the quality of our support – involving our clients and giving them a vital voice in shaping our services. 

“I felt like a complete fraud” 

At first, Rebecca wasn’t sure about her new role – she found speaking on the phone difficult and was worried about whether she would be accepted by the team. But it was a chance to build a routine and meet new people, so Rebecca was ready to give it a try. 

Her first opportunity to get involved was the Volunteering team’s annual boat trip for Volunteers’ Week, a celebration to thank our volunteers for their support and hard work over the past year. Although being in a situation with new people where she couldn’t easily escape was anxiety-inducing, Rebecca felt warmly welcomed by the team, including Kate Milanes – our Senior Volunteer Coordinator – and fellow volunteers: 

“I’d done the training but was waiting for my DBS to come through, so I hadn’t done any volunteering at that point when I was invited on the boat trip for Volunteers’ Week, and I felt like a complete fraud. I said to Kate that I didn’t think that I should be going, but she encouraged me. 

“It was challenging because I find people quite difficult. But I did go, and I had a really lovely time. Lovely lunch, lovely people, and I actually met the person that also did the volunteering calls with once we got started so that was really nice.” 

Rebecca’s volunteer training with Arun Thottiyil Srambikkal – our Senior Partnership Manager – also helped her gain confidence in her role, particularly the process of making phone calls: 

“There was a mixture of online training and face-to-face training to start off with. Arun was very clear about what it was that I did and how I would go about it. He ran through a couple of calls first so I could observe him doing it. There was also a sheet for me to follow in case I got stuck.” 

“I was in a position where I could give clients time” 

As she gained confidence in speaking on the phone, Rebecca realised that her empathy and lived experience made her well-suited to these conversations. She understood how daunting it could be to receive a call from an unknown number, and her patience helped clients open up: 

“I really struggle with the phone – although not so much anymore. It wasn’t uncommon for people not to answer, possibly because it was a Monday morning or because the calls were from an unknown number – I could relate to that. I had some conversations where people wanted to talk, and I was in a position where I could give them time. I was able to listen and that felt good, especially when I could hear less frustration in their voices and they were grateful for being able to talk about their situation.” 

Rebecca’s own experiences with mental health helped her connect with clients. Her understanding and sensitivity helped create a safe, non-judgmental space for others: 

“I have received help and support since coming to Bristol. I was an Independent Futures team member, and I also volunteered. Because of the help, support, volunteering, and lived experience involvement, I became more self-aware. I began to understand what didn’t help me, what activated me, and what I could do to help myself. 

“I was mindful of this when calling people; I listened if the person wanted to talk, I didn’t ask for extra information, simply listened and was careful not to irritate or frustrate the person.” 

“Volunteering gave me purpose and routine which I really need, and also connection to others” 

Looking back, Rebecca recognises how volunteering helped her find a sense of purpose and meaning: 

“Reflecting on what Second Step has done for me has been a really worthwhile experience. Volunteering has helped with my communication, both in-person and when on the phone. It gave me the opportunity to demonstrate that I was reliable and punctual. Having a purpose, feeling I was doing something worthwhile and putting myself outside of my comfort zone contributed to my growing confidence, self-worth and self-esteem.” 

Now, a year after that first boat trip, Rebecca has taken the next step in her journey, completing further training and achieving her goal of working with people experiencing multiple disadvantage by securing a new lived experience role with Changing Futures, one of Second Step’s partners: 

“I’ve finished volunteering with Second Step now because I’m working at Shelter. I’m a GROW trainee, which stands for Getting Real Opportunities of Work. And it’s thanks to Second Step, volunteering here, and other volunteering bits that I’ve done that have helped me be able to get into employment. 

“So that’s why I no longer volunteer, which is sad in one way but good because I’m moving forward and actually, I am soon to be working for Second Step because I have just secured a job with Changing Futures.” 

Although we’re going to miss Rebecca in the volunteering team, we’re always delighted when a volunteer is able to use the skills and experience gained through volunteering to advance their career goals. We’re looking forward to welcoming Rebecca back in her new role. 

Volunteer with us – it works wonders 

We’re always looking for compassionate and enthusiastic individuals to join our dedicated team of volunteers supporting life-changing mental health services across Bristol, Somerset, and North Somerset. Our growing team of 65 volunteers supports a range of services, from welcoming clients at our crisis centres, to helping to run wellbeing workshops, to providing peer mentoring support. 

If you are interested in volunteering with our mental health services, please visit our volunteering webpage to find more information and current opportunities. 

Here’s what Rebecca has to say: 

“I would definitely recommend people to volunteer at Second Step. I think it’s a fabulous organisation. I’ve learnt so much and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve been really supported, and it’s been excellent for getting me back into a place of living rather than existing. 

It gave me purpose and routine which I really need, and also connection to others. It could be quite daunting to put myself out of my comfort zone, but it was really worth it.” 

Watch: Rebecca’s Story

Watch Rebecca tell her inspiring story of volunteering with Second Step: