Volunteering nurtures a broad view of society and the positive impact we can all have, says Novacroft Solutions Manager
As 2017’s National Volunteers’ Week celebrates the contribution made by millions of volunteers across the UK, one Novacroft team member has blogged that his experience of volunteering has been invaluable to himself, his job and his community, and is encouraging others to volunteer too. Read Jeremy’s blog.
Jeremy Cunnington, Solutions Manager for Novacroft, has been with the local smart technology and software business since 2001. He has recently been making the most of the four paid volunteering days that Novacroft offers each team member annually by helping in his local pocket park. Blogging about his experience, Jeremy says:
The experiences of volunteering and the mindset that it nurtures help to make people more rounded individuals with a broader view of society and the positive impact that we can have if we choose to.
Jeremy’s feelings are reflected in the ‘Why personal wellbeing is good for the nation’s health’ whitepaper commissioned by Novacroft for its Ucando-it corporate wellness programme, in association with The Centre for Wellbeing and The New Economics Foundation. The whitepaper authors found studies have shown that “not only does volunteering increase wellbeing, but those with higher wellbeing were also more likely to go on to invest more hours in volunteering”.
The UK Government Community Life Survey 2015 – 16 found that 47% of people regularly volunteer (at least once a month) and 70% of the UK population has volunteered in the past year. Novacroft is determined to contribute to this figure and has volunteering high on its agenda. The company is currently working closely with its Charity of the Year, the Northampton Hope Centre, to set up a ‘kitchen takeover’ day, during which up to ten volunteers would fundraise to cover food costs for a day and donate their time to cook it.
For his part, Jeremy would encourage others to volunteer in a heartbeat:
I’d recommend volunteering to others without any hesitation. Do it. Find an opportunity, or, even better, create an opportunity. Stay in your comfort zone or push yourself outside it. Do whatever you want to do, whatever drives you or whatever you’re passionate about. Most importantly, get out there and make a difference.
