Volunteers have a multitude of reasons for helping their chosen cause. These reasons include wanting to help their community, improving their wellbeing or striving to get transferable skills for a future job. Volunteering offers the chance to make a change, interact with the local community, and learn things that were not previously accessible. However, many would still question to what extent volunteering can help volunteers.
Challenging the stereotype
Before we get into the positives of volunteering, we should address the stereotypes associated with it.
Abi, a volunteer from Youth Switching on Ipswich claimed that volunteering is "a great way to give back and isn't something that's being left until retirement age anymore, it starts now." This highlights the need for younger volunteers as volunteering is often stereotyped as being a role for people in retirement.
Volunteering is usually seen as something that people do once they have retired when they have some more time and want to give something back to the community but volunteering is a lot more than that.
This view may be due to the public not understanding just how beneficial and influential volunteering can actually be. Anyone has the ability to help their local community through different forms of volunteering, no matter their age.
Volunteering for work
The job market has become increasingly difficult to navigate for first time workers, youth leaving school, as well as people looking to change their industry. Applications have become more competitive and complex. Many have been facing increasing despair at every rejected application.
The Office for National Statistics has reported that the unemployment rate has reached 5%. This shows that there is a need for volunteering as this figure has been on the rise in recent years. Vicki Doughty, Head of Careers and Employability at the University of Suffolk, explained that graduate vacancies are down about 10% below pre-pandemic levels, according to a recent Graduate Labour update.
What people do not know is that there are things that they can do to assist them in this search. Volunteering provides people with must-have skills and experience that look good on a CV and are beneficial to the volunteer. Finding industry specific volunteering opportunities could be the first step to someone landing their dream job.
There are many of these opportunities around Ipswich, the Ipswich.gov.uk website outlines some of these opportunities such as: Ipswich Tree Warden Network (for people who want to support the environment), Volunteering at Ipswich Museums (for people enthusiastic about history) and Ipswich Shopmobility (for people who want to help disabled people in the local community). This is only the tip of the iceberg for Ipswich volunteering opportunities.
Doughty explained that volunteering can help students to "develop transferable skills and experience (such as communication, self-initiative, and teamwork), open networks, and provide insight into roles and organisations."
The university encourages students to get involved in volunteering, part-time jobs as well as industry placements and encourages them to reflect on what they have learnt from the experiences. It claims that while it is "difficult to know the extent that volunteering will help students", "where students can demonstrate long-term commitment to volunteering, can reflect what they have learnt, and demonstrate their passion, we know that it can really help them in the job market."
However, short-term commitment that is just "something to put on my CV" is not as beneficial. This is important because it shows that a continuing commitment to a volunteering niche that you are passionate about will benefit you in the future as long as you are ensuring that you are learning and reflecting on what you have experienced.
The increase in volunteering
Suffolk County Council defines volunteering as "help to get work, employment support", additionally they stated that it helps people "to stay active, social and independent". By volunteering, people can help themselves not only by increasing their chances of employment but also by improving their social and personal lives.
Brighten The Corners claims that their volunteering programme has created a "94% progression rate to further courses and volunteering" which shows that volunteering creates new opportunities for volunteers that they may not have previously anticipated or been able to access prior to their volunteering.
This is supported by Amy Falla at Volunteering Matters, who claimed that Youth Switching On Ipswich gained "12 more volunteers who came through volunteering from crucial crew". Additionally, from the volunteers at Youth Switching On Ipswich "80% have become iWill ambassadors". This shows that participating in volunteering has led to further volunteering opportunities becoming available to them.
Volunteering for change
Some people may pursue volunteering opportunities not for job prospects but for the opportunity to change their local community for the better.
Volunteering with organisations like Volunteering Matters and their Youth Switching On Ipswich branch allows young people to directly contribute to their local community through hackathons, social media campaigns, meetings and more.
One of these "hackathons" took place on 2 May at DanceEast, bringing together 150 young people from across Suffolk to have their say on the future of youth services in England.
This was a part of the "Deliver You" campaign where the participating young people created solutions "to issues around wellbeing, isolation, having a voice, local activities and facilities". Organisations like Volunteering Matters allow young people to share their view on how to make the local community a better place in the future and it equips them with the tools to contribute to that future.
Personal views about volunteering
Abi, a volunteer at Youth Switching on Ipswich, stated that they volunteer to channel her "passion, emotions, thoughts and feelings about social issues into a positive action to support people and systems".
Meanwhile, Tabbie, another volunteer at Youth Switching on Ipswich, stated that she volunteers because she "wants to help lead change and make sure that young peoples' voices are uplifted as they are the next generation."
The progression from local volunteering to national
Volunteering Matters' place-based action allows young people to make a difference and pursue their passions as well as contributing to their futures.
Quite a few volunteers such as Abi and Tabbie have progressed from Youth Switching On Ipswich to go and become #IWill ambassadors which includes encouraging organisations to sign up to the Power of Youth Charter, engaging in social action, attending meetings and events as well as encouraging young people in their local community to take action.
This is an extremely important role which has a huge influence on decision-making both locally and nationally. Despite the fact that it is a volunteering role, it provides the opportunity to make a real tangible change that not many other roles could provide.
Volunteering for wellbeing
Many people seek out volunteering opportunities not for the purpose of obtaining a job but instead, to improve their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. Volunteering can create a sense of togetherness and community with its participants, allowing people to reach outside of their comfort zone and find others who share similar interests and passions that they do.
Brighten The Corners says that "80% of participants showed increased self-confidence and self-esteem" through volunteering with them. The organisation runs three music venues with volunteering opportunities, including sound, videography, bar staff and more. This shows that pursuing passions in a niche can impact everyday life as it pushes volunteers out of their comfort zone and increases their confidence through doing something they are interested in.
The organisation also claims that it observed an 80% reduction in re-offending rates among at-risk youth. This shows that volunteering not only improved mental wellbeing but it also contributed to reducing re-offending rates which improves society and the individuals.
Companies like Suffolk Mind provides volunteers the opportunity to directly help others through listening, participating in activities and assisting staff in support groups. They allow volunteers to build a safe space for the participants, additionally, volunteers will gain self-confidence while assisting participants with their own mental health. These charities allow volunteers to directly contribute to other peoples' wellbeing as well as improving their own.
But is volunteering viable?
While volunteering may be beneficial to a large number of people, there have still been arguments that it may be more detrimental than helpful.
The main group of people who will benefit from volunteering the most are probably students as it helps them to gain transferable skills that can help them professionally later on. However, many students (like college and university students) may not be able to afford to volunteer as they need paid positions to be able to pay for their essentials. Volunteering may be less preferable to this group of people as they may benefit more from paid opportunities and part-time jobs.
This is supported by Vicki Doughty at the University of Suffolk who stated that "we are mindful of the cost of living and that students cannot always volunteer in place of paid work", they stated that the University offers a range of paid opportunities as well to help assist students who cannot volunteer.
Other opportunities
The University of Suffolk recommended that young people who are searching for a job should: build their skills "through experience, volunteering and online courses and virtual internships such as Forage". This shows that other mediums of gaining experience may be just as important as volunteering. Paid opportunities and part-time jobs can also provide crucial experience that would benefit students in the future and allow them to build their confidence.
This is important as it shows that there are many ways to navigate the job market. Volunteering is an extremely important part of this but it is not the only option. Other viable options exist to those who cannot volunteer at the moment. However, volunteering does provide a head-start and it is an invaluable resource for everyone who can access it.
The bottom line
From the voices we have heard across Ipswich, the answer is clear: volunteering works. Not as a quick fix or a box-ticking exercise, but as a genuine pathway to skills, connections, and change. Whether you are seeking employment, wellbeing, or the chance to shape your community, the opportunities are there.
The question is not whether volunteering works, but whether we are making the most of this undervalued resource.
NB This feature was written by Holly, a student journalist participating in Youth Voice Matters, a six-week community journalism project delivered by Ipswich.co.uk and Ipswich Community Media, in partnership with Volunteering Matters.
