2021 Why do you volunteer?

Reasons for Volunteering

Having organised volunteer rotas to help Riverbank Medical Centre with their Covid injection programme Rotarian Simon Flint thought it would be interesting to ask  people why they came forward to help. Here are some of his replies.

I think we all have a responsibility to help out during times of a crisis.  It gave me a good excuse to escape from the house and the 4 home schoolers..... .

Personal  need. I didn’t want to get to the end of the pandemic and only be able to say that I had learned on line banking and how to cook a passable lamb biryani

I’m fit, able, have the time and if there is a need to be met I like to try and meet it. Through volunteering I gained a reason to be alive that day, it gave me purpose and structure for the two weeks so far .

I volunteer because its lovely to connect with people face to face and to go to bed knowing I  have made a difference

I volunteer to be part of a team achieving something massive with which we have all been struggling -to support the local medical practice -to feel part of the community effort -to get out of the house legitimately -representing Rotary in providing a service to the community

I volunteered because I wanted to help, I know how difficult it's been for lots of people.

As for all Rotarians “Service Above Self” .

I like being helpful and volunteering is a far more effective way of helping the NHS than clapping on my doorstep!

Getting people vaccinated is the fastest way out of the pandemic and very selfishly it’s time that my son and his chums could actually get on with their lives - be back at school, socialise, play sport etc

I saw on TV before Christmas vaccination centres were using volunteers to help with the roll out of the vaccines and it was then that I thought it would be something I would like to do. 

The many news clips I have seen of front line staff looking after patients in hospitals have been so heart wrenching and I feel that after a year of watching there is finally a small part of the jigsaw puzzle that I can help with.  So many people have been involved and seen the effects of Covid in their daily lives whereas the most I have had to do is stay at home.  It does not seem fair, so now it is my turn to play my small part. 

One reason for volunteering -   Ihaven’t hugged my mum since last March and she lives on her own and desperately needs social contact

Reasons for volunteering…..the usual general ‘life’s been good to me and I want to give something back’ but supercharged in this case because with a bit of help from us those doing the vaccinations have made a huge difference quickly.

For me it was to help get us all back to some kind of normality as quickly as we possibly can.

I feel very privileged that I have had the opportunity to contribute , in my own small way to helping defeat the virus. Selfishly, it is good for my own mental health.

Having a commitment. There have been very few in this time of pandemic. Another morale booster .

Feeling useful.

Such activities can help ones resilience in lockdown and also give a sense of wellbeing & pride and by helping others our own issues are put into perspective in these difficult times.  

On a personal level, I work full time and have spent every day in my spare bedroom office since lockdown last March. I miss people....so when the opportunity rose I jumped at the chance of getting involved.