That time of the year has finally come around; a nationwide celebration of the contribution from volunteers. We believe that our volunteers are a core part of our community and they deserve recognition all year round, and while all of us at CCDT do recognise the impact throughout the year, this is a week specially for the nation to recognise you.

For this week, we want to focus on all the great that these volunteers have done for our community and thank them for everything. As well as doing this, we want to encourage all of you out there to join in on the work. I couldn’t even call it work, our volunteers are essential to the smooth running of our organisation, and the contribution from this is so rewarding that you don’t even feel like you’re working.

Let’s talk about these benefits that come from volunteering.

It boosts your confidence, you get to interact with all these people in your community, it’s a judgement free zone that helps you to enhance your skills. You’re able to move at your own pace, there’s no rush and there’s no comparison. When you volunteer, you get a sense of reward, and overtime that contributes to confidence. When you feel like you’re doing good, when you see that you are, you feel good too. 

Connects you to the community, when you volunteer and contribute in your community, you see all the aspects you might have missed before. You meet people that maybe you wouldn’t have had a reason to interact with normally. Connection to your community is so beneficial for so many reasons. One of these reasons is that it encourages a sense of belonging which has an overall benefit to your life, such as better health, more opportunities for careers and growth, and a sense of purpose. 

Another reason that connection with the community is so vital is that they look out for you, if they know who to look for and what to look for then they can do right by you. 

Improve the world around you, when you volunteer, you get a deeper insight into the world you live in. With this deeper insight, you understand more, you can feel more connected and you are more able to improve the negative aspects that you see as well. Doing this not only benefits where you live but it also benefits you. This is because, you get to live in an environment that has been improved with residential insight, as well living somewhere that you have had a role in improving and you can feel proud each time you step out the door, knowing you’ll see a world you had a part in.

Better health [physical and mental], there are many opportunities for volunteering to improve your health. If you take a more physical role then it keeps you active and it improves your endurance in your daily life, you may see that you find everyday activities easier. Even if you don’t have a physical role, it can keep you mentally active. On average, there is a high percentage of volunteers that report an improved sense of mental health and wellbeing. When you volunteer it boosts mood, reduces stress and loneliness. Connection is such a vital aspect of our lives, volunteering can create a sense of self that can be missing in other areas of life.

What we have achieved with our volunteering:

CCDT is the first organisation in Chichester to receive the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

What is this award?

It’s the highest national recognition that can be given to volunteer groups in the United Kingdom. We’re so grateful for this award and without our volunteers, there would be no chance of this occurring. We work hard in our community and we’re proud of what we can do with that.

What have our volunteers done:

Community enhancements   

• physical improvements
• events and support
• social connections
• youth engagement 

Community development and empowerment                     –

• skill development 
• supporting community groups 
• advocacy and representation 
• resource sharing 

Our volunteers have planted trees, improved paths and accessed road improvements. They have organised and supported various community events and created welcoming spaces for community members to reduce social isolations and bridge digital divides. Our volunteers engage with young people and provide mentorships for skill development. At CCDT, we utilise our volunteering to empower local people to develop their skills and provide support and resources. When we do this, we can advocate for the needs of the community and take on responsibilities for them.

Our volunteers are incredible at what they do and how they benefit our community. We’re so grateful for them and everything they have done. We sincerely hope that when you read through our account of the benefits and what our volunteers do, that you see who you want to be. Join our community: https://chichestercdt.org.uk/get-involved

Written by volunteer Grace Clark