VOLUNTEERING - A PERSONAL VIEW

Roar – Well loud and proud anyway!

                                                                  Photo by Matthew Stephenson on Unsplash

Lions. Strong, powerful, family oriented and truly majestic. All qualities that every human can see in themselves. And also very, very tragic. Again, a circumstance that we share with the mighty lion, but we have the luxury of choice. Remember your humanity because this is what sets us apart from all other species.

Now read my first fable, The Lion and the Sheep 1 - you may know this one!
The Lion and the Sheep - 1

The moral of this story is to know yourself. When you look at your reflection, who do you see? All the things that make you, You. A human. Imagine your neighbour or even a stranger was your mirror image, just for the sake of illustration. You don’t see your own reflection, but what do you see? What if a lion was your mirror image. You see a beast.

We as humans have the power to make choices. Volunteering says that the power of individuals to make the right choices can determine how society will progress. Determinism is the belief that the way society is organised and the structures within society impact the way people behave and the amount of participatory choice they have. Your writer thinks the latter sounds a lot like communism or any other political regime that puts restrictions on human beings. Such restrictions are what bring out the lion in us and give rise to beastly behaviour towards one another. 

For the sake of humanity, let’s support volunteering and encourage the growth of this thinking as a political strategy that brings about real cohesion. People making choices for the benefit of others in a civil society. A trend that gains traction as more and more people offer skills for altruistic reasons. 

Your writer has been involved with the voluntary sector since the idea that people can work for no pay was introduced as compulsory at school. Your writer did not do work experience and left school without securing this first taste of working life; unlike the lion share of classmates, the details of which are beyond the scope of this piece but will be explored in a future book called “The A-Z of underachievement”.

Work experience re-emerged again, and again and sadly many times. As a teenager the offer of work experience was just an option to take or leave. At 20 plus, it was something to consider in terms of CV enhancement; but to be offered an opportunity to do two weeks of work experience at a reputable company at age 30 and 40 plus was an insult. The packaging was slightly different with longer periods offered, and labelled something more highbrow like internship; however, it still amounted to unpaid work. Three months as an intern for no pay and no expenses – in London – Joy! To be fair, as a 40 year old, your writer had rejected the voluntary sector completely. Working for no pay was absolutely not an option regardless of the cause.

Now read my second fable, The Lion and the Sheep 2 - you may not know this one!
The Lion and the Sheep - 2

As an older person, your writer sees the bigger picture. The voluntary sector is an industry. It is important to the way society works and the part it plays in keeping all members of society in the loop. This function is becoming increasingly important with the ever changing way things are done in the modern day. The disconnect between structures and people gets wider for some, and the voluntary sector is essential to maintain communication flows for those experiencing the break in connection. 
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Let’s choose connectivity. As human centred individuals, we can push for the development of the voluntary sector rather than dismiss it. We can transfer our skills with the same level of professionalism we would to a salaried position. The only requirement is time and we all have differing levels of that throughout our lives. So, at a time that’s right for you, offer your time to people who could do with your help. They turn to you because they need to trust you. 

Written by Katherine Russell