The Benefits of Volunteering

What do you get out of volunteering?

Volunteering enables you to connect with your community and make it a better place to live. Volunteers are often described as the glue that holds a community together. Dedicating your time as a volunteer can also help you make new friends, expand both your social and professional networks and boost your skills.

Supporting others through volunteering can also help you reduce stress, combat depression, keep you mentally stimulated and provide a sense of purpose.

Being a volunteer is a good way of gaining experience in a working environment which could also offer a useful source for references for future job applications.

Over 100 of our volunteers have already moved on to careers in health and social care or have become foster parents. A similar number have raised their skills and confidence through volunteering and have gone on to higher education. We are pleased and honoured to support them. HCHfH offers a great way to test out a possible change of career. We provide references and an evidenced programme of certified courses and supervised experience, if our volunteers want to pursue either employment or educational opportunities.

While it is true that the more you volunteer, the more benefits you experience, volunteering does not have to involve a long-term commitment or take a huge amount of time out of your busy day.

What do our volunteers say?

Find out what it’s like being a volunteer with Hull Churches Home from Hospital.

“I would like to share my amazing experience volunteering at HCHfH as well as the major benefits I gained from the position. I started volunteering in September 2013 for the Adults Service, then in February 2014 in the Telehealth service and sadly moving away from Hull in August of this year. During these positions I learnt skills such as telephone support, clear and precise note taking, working in a multi-disciplinary team and lone working, covering issues in training such as safeguarding, mental capacity and infection control. The job also gave me an invaluable understanding in to what it is like coming home from hospital, sorting out benefits and difficulties associated with recovering from illness. This has all improved my skill set and helped me gain my current full time job in the NHS at Northwick Park Hospital (North West London Healthcare) as a therapy technician, preventing admittance to hospital and safely accelerating and supporting discharge from hospital. I have also gained a bank (part-time relief work) contract as a mental health support worker at a secure psychiatric unit in Basildon, Essex. The incredibly supportive team at HCHfH gave me a fantastic insight in to working in healthcare as well as the foundation to build on to progress to my future career. Thank you HCHfH! :)”

Vera, a Consultant Paediatrician, joined HCHfH as a volunteer. Initially supporting the Children in Need funded ‘Neonate Home from Hospital’ project, helping new parents whose baby went home still being tube-fed, on oxygen and needing constant attention.

Our volunteers visited to give the parents time to themselves and to sleep. Imagine being a new mum, finding it hard to trust your newborn to anyone else, to be offered a consultant paediatrician to monitor baby!

Vera went on to contribute to the early planning stages of our Families Together Service, providing research to support our funding bid.

Today Vera provides educational support for young children who do not speak English as their first language and we are delighted to be able to support her now, providing rooms in our headquarters building at weekends for her classes.

Does volunteering affect your benefits?

Becoming a volunteer with HCHfH will not affect any benefits you might receive. There is nothing to worry about, provided you inform your Benefits Officer or Job Centre and you are willing to:

  • Continue looking for a job
  • Give up being a volunteer to start a job
  • Start work at 48 hours’ notice

You should not receive any payment for your voluntary work, other than expenses. If you would like any further information, you should contact your Benefits Officer and ask for leaflet WK4.

To start your volunteer journey please contact us:

On 01482 447673 or email: administrator@hchfh.org.uk.

Giving your time in small ways can help others in need and help you to improve your health and happiness.