The bridge in the middle
ACROSS THE community we hear people such as Bentley Prior Museum volunteer Ariel say, “I got that volunteering role through JVN.” JVN connects individuals with charity opportunities. But we go beyond simply matchmaking. JVN recognises that volunteering isn’t just about giving, it can also be a powerful tool in your own journey, transforming the lives of both beneficiaries and volunteers. JVN stands as a testament to this, creating a ripple effect to repair the world, extending far beyond the individuals involved to fulfil the concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world).
With JVN and volunteering, everybody wins. From yoga teachers to bakers, we believe in the power of finding the right fit. We connect people to their skills and the needs of different charities and community. Individuals who engage with JVN often find themselves transformed through what they do, whether they are able to give a few minutes a week or several hours a month. As Rachelle Lazarus, charity engagement and volunteer manager explains, we are the “bridge in the middle” helping support both people looking to volunteer and charities that need to find volunteers.
Consider Fanni. A lawyer by profession and now volunteer yoga instructor at Kisharon Langdon, she illustrates how, in just 30 minutes a week “as much as I try to give to the people I teach yoga to, I gain so much from them as well”. Looking back on her volunteering journey, Fanni says: “If JVN didn’t exist, I think I wouldn’t be able to do my current volunteering role because they played such a key role in setting up my work with the charity.”
Similarly, Clive, a volunteer at the chatty café at Jewish Care, describes his experience as “absolutely inspirational”. He devotes time to engaging with older individuals who may struggle with loneliness and highlights the value of connecting through conversation and sharing life experiences, on both sides of the exchange. Once again, rather than a one-way exchange between giver and beneficiary, volunteering matters to everyone involved.
David, a patent attorney and chair of Hampstead Gardens Suburb Synagogue, discovered an opportunity at the Nightingale Hammerson Care Home after receiving an email from JVN. Spending time doing Pets as Therapy with five-yearold Australian labradoodle Poppy, has been both popular with residents (who all describe how gorgeous she is!), and David gets a huge amount of satisfaction in return. He loves seeing the residents’ reactions to Poppy and how she brightens up their day.
Georgie, co-author of the Jewish Princess cookbooks, on the other hand, recognised it was time for her to volunteer after attending a JVN Zoom fundraiser. She loved the idea of using her skills in this regard and says: “I honestly believe if JVN hadn’t been involved, I might not have volunteered”.
JVN volunteer broker Angie Jacobs says: “Without us there would be a lot more charities without volunteers and a lot more people that wouldn’t know where to go to volunteer.” The words of Rabbi Sacks z”l emphasise this further:
From yoga teachers to bakers, we find the right fit
“The Jewish community could not exist for a day without its volunteers.”
However, our transformative work goes above and beyond connecting volunteers and charities. Nicky Goldman, JVN chief executive, explains: “Our array of training programmes for volunteer managers, our conferences, and on an individual basis we give a substantial amount of advice and support to volunteer managers to help them manage their volunteers most effectively.” Volunteer managers endorse the effectiveness and helpfulness of our volunteer manager forums. These forums encourage connections and learning, in turn improving the work they do.
In this way, JVN exemplifies the impact of giving your time for both individuals and communities. Whatever volunteers do, whether cooking or listening or something else entirely, they not only make a difference to their direct beneficiaries but gain so much back themselves. In a world that often needs a helping hand, JVN works to demonstrate and further the power of doing something.
You can see more from Fanni, Clive, Ariel, David and Poppy in our new JVN film: Our Story at jvn.org.uk/film, directed by David Coleman.