Peter’s volunteer story
Peter’s Volunteering Journey
I first met Becky from TSL Volunteering service in Batley Library and was supported with looking at local volunteer roles but then things came to a halt due to Covid. Following covid, I contacted Becky again and was supported to look at new roles of interest. I wanted something that was group based to start with as I was unsure about one-to-one support. I applied for a Group Befriender role with St Anne’s and soon began volunteering with them. My role at St Anne’s Befriending Service came to an end in the recent months due to the closure of the service. The staff at St Anne’s supported me to connect with new volunteer roles.
About my role:
As a Group Befriender, I supported a social/ drop-in group in Dewsbury. As part of this role I:
- Interacted with the wider group and supported clients on a one-to-one basis in the café environment.
- Helped improved clients’ mental health through general conversation and offering emotional support by listening, offering reassurance and giving advice.
What I enjoy about volunteering:
I enjoy being part of my local community, I found supporting a group of people very comfortable and felt like I was making a difference. It gave me a sense of satisfaction to brighten up someone’s day with general conversation. I was able to share my skills and knowledge with clients and learn from them which was great for me.
How volunteering has helped me:
Having purpose and finding the momentum has really helped me. I used to attend groups but sadly a lot of these are no longer around so being able to do something different and helping others has helped me. Interacting with people improves my day and gives me a focus for the week. It has also given me confidence to look at new volunteer roles.
My next steps:
Since starting with a Group Befriender role, I have now moved on to do this on a one-to-one basis. I also feel more confident to take a lead in supporting mental health and have recently applied to be a Group Facilitator Volunteer for another charity.