Helpful hints for family life

Boost your wellbeing – become a volunteer

Could doing good be the secret to feeling good? Helpforce’s research suggests 56% of the UK public is willing to volunteer to support the health and wellbeing of people in their communities.

Making a difference to individuals (34%), their local community (28%), and having a sense of purpose (26%) were the most compelling reasons.

‘Numerous studies have shown the widespread benefits that volunteering has for the volunteers themselves,’ says Mark Lever, CEO of Helpforce.

These benefits include ‘improved wellbeing, improved confidence and self-esteem, and better social connections. Volunteering also helps people to boost their skills, which in turn improves their employability.’

Volunteering was front of mind as the Big Help Out took place yesterday.

So why exactly does volunteering make us feel good?

Forming connections: ‘You may be part of a team bringing a sense of camaraderie, and even form connections with a new and different group of people with similar values,’ suggests Dr Audrey Tang. ‘This offers you a whole new source of support, encouragement and ideas.’

Learning from others Tang says volunteering is ‘really great for stimulating a new sense of curiosity through learning from different people’.

Building confidence and new skills ‘You will develop many skills which can be transferred into employment, including timekeeping and reliability, as well as technical skills,’ Tang explains.

Feeling valued ‘Volunteers are also very valued, partly because the commitment you make in time and effort is so very important, but also because you are doing it for free, as such your work is often highly recognised and appreciated, which in turn can build self-esteem and a sense of belonging,’ Tang remarks.