Volunteer For a Good Cause in 2023 - and Help Yourself Too! By Margaret Brecknell If you are looking for a fresh challenge at the start of 2023, why not volunteer for a good cause? Charities, local and further afield, are crying out for volunteers to help in a whole range of different capacities. There really is a role to suit everyone and you’ll be helping yourself too at the same time.
Here are just some of the many benefits to be gained from volunteering Meet New People Volunteering is a great opportunity to meet like-minded new people and make friends of all ages and from all backgrounds, who you otherwise would probably have never encountered in your day-to-day life. Remember that you have all volunteered to help the same good cause, so straightaway you have plenty in common! This may be particularly beneficial to those who have recently moved to a new area, or experienced a major change in lifestyle such as retirement, bereavement or redundancy. Gain Work Experience For youngsters about to enter the world of work for the first time or those looking to return after a long career break, volunteering allows you to gain invaluable work
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experience and learn new skills. This will help you to stand out from the crowd and appeal to potential employers when you are ready to enter the job market. Improve Your Physical and Mental Health Volunteering can play an important role in keeping people physically active and it also offers many mental health benefits. Volunteers report a sense of accomplishment and purpose in giving something back to society. Volunteering can also increase self-esteem and has been shown to help those suffering with depression and stress. Help The Planet There are many ways in which you can make a positive contribution towards protecting the environment through volunteering, whether that means becoming involved in a community garden, taking part in a clean-up operation or helping wildlife. Don’t forget, also, that charity shops promote re-use and recycling, thereby helping to reduce waste that would otherwise end up in landfill. So how do you find a volunteering opportunity that’s right for you? You’ll probably gain most from the experience if you take some time to consider the type of good cause which best suits your personality and interests and whether there is something specific you are hoping to achieve by volunteering.
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