To all our volunteers: Thank you!

This week is Volunteers Week and this year, more than ever, we want to thank all our volunteers who worked with us through such a tumultuous time.

Volunteers play an important part in delivering many of our services, and they have gone above and beyond in the past year to help us keep things moving. Our staff have paid tribute to the hard work and dedication shown by our volunteers in a video which you can watch here.

Sharing Thoughts

Jackson, who works in our Volunteering team reflects on his experiences here:

“When we went into lockdown for the first time last spring, it was in the news that over one-million people had registered with the NHS volunteer scheme. This was the largest recruitment of volunteers in the UK since the Second World War. It felt like there was a strong community spirit in the country and people wanted to get involved in helping vulnerable people in their towns and cities. Although it was a scary time for everyone, I couldn’t help but feel pleased that the spotlight was on volunteering and what it can achieve. It often feels like volunteers don’t always get the recognition they deserve

I have worked in the volunteering team at Second Step for almost four years. Over that time I have been involved in the recruitment, training and supervision of volunteers for the Community Rehabilitation Service in Bristol. I can honestly say that the people that I have met who come and volunteer for us are amongst the nicest and brightest people I have ever worked with.

I learned quickly that people volunteer for very different reasons:

Some people want to get experience with a future career in mind. This is always good to know early on because we pride ourselves on helping volunteers with their development It makes me very happy to see so many of our ex volunteers working at Second Step now, proud of you guys!

Some people apply to get some practical experience while studying for a counselling or psychology course.

The most common reason for volunteering is that people want to give something back, to help others, to maybe share some of their own experiences and by doing so provide hope and inspiration

I have always been inspired by our volunteers and it is a huge privilege to work with them. Not only do they work very hard and show great dedication but they do so while juggling lots of other commitments in their lives.”

If you have experience as a volunteer or have been helped by one of our volunteers and would like to share your story please email jane.edmonds@second-step.co.uk or tag us on Twitter / Instagram @wearesecondstep.

If you are interested in joining our wonderful volunteer team, we’d love to hear from you! You can find out more on our volunteering pages.

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