No downsides to being a trustee - says Anna

Charlotte has been volunteering with Wycombe Museum as a Front of House volunteer since September 2024. She was one of the first volunteers to successfully match to an opportunity on Volunteer Bucks. How did you out about Volunteer Bucks and the volunteering opportunity? I initially heard about Volunteer Bucks through a Facebook post shared by the Mayor of High Wycombe. When I used the platform for the first time, I thought it was excellent, and I was amazed by the number of roles available. I have shared Volunteer Bucks with several friends because there is so much available - whether you're interested in nursing, gardening, or supporting young people. There is something for everyone. Applying for the role with Wycombe Museum was straightforward. I found the role in a search, applied on the platform, and they got back to me almost immediately. From there I was able to arrange a time to go in for an interview and start volunteering. What is your volunteer role and what does it involve? My role as a Front of House volunteer at Wycombe Museum is varied. It involves being on hand to welcome visitors, supporting with school visits & community events, and general day to day running of the museum. This role also requires me to explain displays, answer questions, and encourage donations when needed. Why do you volunteer? I have the time to spare and wanted to use it to give back to the community. I'm a very social person and volunteering allows me to meet new people, keep active, and use my brain. Volunteering also allows me to have more structure in my week. As a minimum I volunteer on a Friday every week and help out when there are special events too. What attracted you to this role? When my children were little, we visited the museum often as it was local to me. We always had a good time as a family, so I wanted to pay it back - especially as the museum is a free service! I previously has a career in nursing and wanted to step outside my comfort zone to try something new. The Front of House role gives me the perfect opportunity to do so. What are the best bits of volunteering in this role? I love all of it - it's a great team. The Volunteer Manager keeps everything well organised, and I get the change to learn lots. I have been paired with another volunteer, and we've got a plan in place where I can learn something new about an object every week. What's the most challenging part of this role? Nothing is challenging, I just enjoy it! Would you recommend volunteering and if so, why? I would highly receommend volunteering to anyone who is able to offer their time. Gaining knowledge and meeting new people are great benefits. And if people aren't already using Volunteer Bucks, they should! Volunteer Bucks has changed my life - it's exactly what I was looking for.

Noreen supported the finance team at Talkback UK with their invoicing processes. She was one of the first volunteers to use Volunteer Bucks. How did you find out about Volunteer Bucks and the volunteering opportunity? I had been using the Volunteer Matching Service since September 2023 and made the switch over to Volunteer Bucks when the platform became available. The transition was easy; I didn't have to do anything except register myself. Finding my volunteering role was simple too - the platform and interface are very user-friendly. Roles are easy to search for and all the information you need is readily available. I applied in September, and after the interview and checks I was able to start the role in the same month. What was your volunteer role and what did it involve? My role with Talkback UK was the Accounts and Finance Support volunteer. This involved helping the finance team to upload and pay invoices for the charity. I think I joined the organisation at a pivotal time. They had an audit coming up, so I was able to facilitate clearing up the backlog of work. Why do you volunteer? I had been off work for several years to focus on raising my children. Volunteering is a great way for me to gain experience and get back into work. What attracted you to this role? There were a couple of reasons why I chose this role. Firstly, I was attracted to the mission and work of Talkback UK. They offer great support to autistic people and getting them back into the mainstream world. Secondly, because I had previously worked as an office administrator in a college for 6 years, so it was a familiar environment to ease myself back into. I wanted to work in the background for a worthwhile cause, and this was a great way to do it. What were the best and most challanging parts of this role? For me, the part I enjoyed most was learning something new and learning what goes on behind the scenes for a charity. There wasn't anything too challenging, but the systems and processes did take some time to get used to. Every organisation does things their own way, so it did take some time to learn the ropes. Would you recommend volunteering and if so, why? Yes, definitely! I believe what you give back to society with any role, especially in a charity like this, makes volunteering worthwhile. I would recommend to everyone to volunteer in whatever field they're interested in if they are looking for a job or if they have any time on the side. I'm in a paid role now which volunteering helped me get to. When I left, I as even able to recommend my friend who took over the role.

Evie has been recently matched as a Buddy Lead volunteer with Macmillan Cancer Support, and as a Schools Service volunteer with the NSPCC. She is excited to be stepping into the next chapter of her life through volunteering. What led you to volunteer? I have been unemployed for several years due to a long-term health condition which has prevented me from returning to work. This has been frustrating as I used to be very professionally active. I am embarking on a new chapter in my life and volunteering is a way of being part of an organisation again, and I am glad to apply my skills, and personal and professional experience. I have learnt a lot about myself through my health condition, so this is a chance to bring everything together and give back to others. In the long term I will be looking to be returning to employment at some point. Volunteering means being able to hold my head up high and get back into professional environments again, as I have felt a lot of shame and embarrassment from being out of work for an extended period. Now I will be part of a team again, and it feels good to be able to update my CV with volunteering activity. I also know my self-worth will improve – in fact it already has – and it’s something else to think about rather than my personal situation. It also means social integration as I’ve been quite socially isolated at times due to ill health. Volunteering means I can take it step by step and get the balance right for me. I’m stepping into next chapter of my life through these volunteer roles, and I’m looking forward to getting started, to do some good and to an exciting future. How did you find out about the roles? The organisation I volunteered with three years ago found most of their volunteers through Buckinghamshire Volunteer Matching Service, so came across the Service then. After going through some difficult circumstances, I have decided to reach out to see what volunteering roles were on offer. I was quite clear on what I was looking for – something based on my previous volunteering experience. The Volunteer Matching Service team suggested a few roles and, after a further chat, I was able to make a more informed choice about the roles I wanted to get involved with. It is quite a personal decision. What are your volunteer roles and what do they involve? One of the roles is with NSPCC as a Speak out Stay safe volunteer, delivering workshops in primary schools to teach children about the different types of abuse and how they can speak out and stay safe. This appealed to me because I have previous experience in youth work along with my own personal experiences, which I can use in this role. I felt it was important to be myself and honest in the interview process. The other role is as a Buddy Lead volunteer with Macmillan Cancer Support to help with the Macmillan Buddy service which provides a lifeline for people with cancer. It will involve leading another small team of volunteers helping people with cancer. The roles are quite different from one another and are also looking for different commitments each month. Overall, they fit with the commitment length I’m looking for. What has the onboarding process been like? Both roles have quite stringent onboarding processes, which is reassuring, as they are both sensitive roles, where empathy and sensitivity is key. So far, I have been accepted for both roles and currently in the onboarding process. Interestingly, when I spoke with the volunteer coordinator at Macmillan, based on my answers to her questions and lived experiences of losing close family members to cancer, she offered a more senior volunteer role managing a team of volunteers. I was not expecting this; it has given me a bit of self-confidence and it is good to know I can apply more of my skills to the organisation. I’m looking forward to giving it a go. What has registering with Volunteer Matching Service meant to you? The Volunteer Matching Service has been a springboard for me. I know I’m not yet ready to be in paid employment, as I am still in a transition period, so when I was looking at what else I can do with my time, the Service was the ideal place for me to turn to. I would like to grow in confidence: even the recruitment process gave me workplace experience and a reason to hold myself in a professional way again. The interview process and training has already helped me feel a very different person. And it shows – friends and family members are noticing! It is also inspiring others: there is a real ripple effect to getting involved with volunteering. Further information: To find out more about NSPCC or Macmillan Cancer Support, visit the NSPCC website and the Macmillan Cancer Support website . March 2024