Jo, 32, Volunteer Advocacy Worker
I’ve been volunteering with AdvoCard for 9 months. I had been considering volunteering for many reasons: to gain some experience and further my career, to help others, but mostly life was feeling a bit stagnant. I knew I needed to do something to feel more fulfilled. Having had a strong sense of justice since I was young, I always found myself naturally trying to help and advocate for others, but that didn’t continue into adulthood. Life does get in the way, but I realised my mental health, energy levels and confidence were all suffering because I wasn’t feeling fulfilled. It took me years to commit, but eventually I realised something needed to change. I had a look on Volunteer Edinburgh stumbled across Advocard. I reached out not expecting to hear anything due to my perceived lack of experience but Paul (one of the Volunteer Co-Ordinators) reached out, and his infectious personality meant there was no way I’d say no. As I got to know the rest of the cohort starting with me and all the other team members at AdvoCard I knew I was in the right place. Everyone was likeminded and working towards a common goal to ensure people could access and understand their rights.
Volunteering at AdvoCard has been special. It’s a joy to come in each week and engage with kind, considerate and supportive colleagues. While the issues we sometimes deal with are tough, and the help we offer is limited, there’s no better feeling than knowing you are doing your best to support someone. And despite the fact that I’m squeezing in volunteering around a full-time job, I’m more energetic, engaged and have been instilled with so much purpose. That’s not to say that volunteering hasn’t been challenging. I had difficulty setting boundaries and helping my Advocacy Partners understand the scope of support that advocacy could provide. At times I lacked confidence because it felt like I was failing, but as I learned to better communicate, my relationships improved and Advocacy Partners came away thankful of the support I could provide despite it’s limitations.
For anyone thinking about volunteering, just do it. If you – like me – are hoping to find community and fulfilment, I cannot recommend it enough. I put it off for far too long, and I hope from reading my story you won’t make the same mistake.
