Volunteers’ Week Blog 1: Marie

Volunteers’ Week Blog 1: Marie

June 1, 2021 Off By admin

Marie writes about the sense of achievement that volunteering as a befriender gives her.

I currently volunteer for Mind in Bradford in a befriender role.  

Over the last year I began noticing how isolation was affecting people, with limited social experiences and interactions and the reduction of face-to-face support, especially within mental health. This made me think about how I could help someone to hopefully feel that little bit better.  

I approached Mind in Bradford and became a volunteer. I was matched with someone who I now contact weekly. 

Some weeks I’m just listening, some weeks I’m offering encouragement and best of all some weeks we spend the time laughing! 

Each week I feel a sense of achievement that I took a small part of my day to be there for someone else. It’s not all about giving, it’s also what you gain from volunteering. You develop listening skills and understanding, build a rapport over time and share stories.

The post Volunteers’ Week Blog 1: Marie first appeared on Mind in Bradford.