This week is National Volunteers week (1st-7th June) – when we as a Charity and a nation can celebrate and say “THANK YOU” to the millions of people across the country and those in our community who give their time through volunteering.
At Shipston Home Nursing, we call upon an amazing team of volunteers to help with our events and community based fundraising – we missed them so much last year. We would like to say a “BIG thank you” to you all. 💚👍
Why is volunteering important?
As well as helping others, volunteering has been shown to improve volunteers’ wellbeing too.
It’s human nature to feel good after helping someone out. Volunteering can also help you gain valuable new skills and experiences, and boost your confidence.
- In 2018/19, 19.4 million (36%) people volunteered through a group at least once a year and over 11.9 million (22%) of people did so at least once a month.
- The most common reason overall for volunteering is wanting to improve things or help people (42%).
- In 2019/20, there were around 163,000 voluntary organisations in the UK, most of which rely on volunteers.
- In 2017/18, the voluntary sector contributed £18.2bn to the UK economy. This is equivalent to about 0.9% of GDP.
- 67% of volunteers give their time to charities and community groups, but many others also volunteer in the public and private sectors.
Our volunteers
We asked one of our volunteers Caroline, a resident of Shipston and long time supporter of the Charity about her volunteering experience.
Why did you first start volunteering for us?
Amazingly over twenty years ago, a friend asked me to help with a teenager’s ball she was organising to raise money for a charity called Shipston Home Nursing. What a lovely idea! My two sons were then in their early teens and we all loved the idea of a big party – which also raised money to help other people. Win Win!!
My family was onboard with very little appreciation of the important role this charity carried out for our community. We got involved and helped or supported if we could with some of the many fundraising events over the years, doing everything from stuffing envelopes going out to our supporters to doing the tombola at the Christmas fair. SHN is a local Charity supporting our community and supported by so many wonderful volunteers from all over South Warwickshire.
How do you volunteer?
The SHN Plant Sale is a very popular annual event and a few years ago my wonderful friend Fudge Ramsay and I took over the reins to organise it. We were helped by the experienced team of volunteers and amazing friends. A lot of hard work done and fun was had by all!
The sale has grown over time but with Lockdown we thought it was the end! But the community response exploded thanks to even more volunteers in every village setting up a sale table outside (Covid compliant of course), generous plant donors and generous buyers.
What an extraordinary response !!
Has the Charity helped anyone else you know?
My family and I now know exactly what SHN does – close up and personal. My late husband Jim got cancer aged 52 and despite cutting edge treatment at the Royal Marsden was not going to recover.
Thanks to the support of the doctors and wonderful nurses from SHN who came to us day and night he was at home with us until the end. When helping out at events I meet so many people who tell me of the support SHN gave their family and loved one at one of the most difficult times of their lives.
What do you get out of volunteering?
“Getting involved” is huge fun, really interesting, a great way of meeting and getting to know such worthwhile people in one’s community and working to achieve a successful outcome is very satisfying both as an individual and as part of a team. Volunteering seems to bring out the best and the fun in people in my very positive experience.
Would you urge others to volunteer?
I certainly would recommend volunteering – it is one of life’s privileges!