During Volunteers’ Week (1st – 7th June), Change Grow Live will be celebrating the contribution of its amazing volunteers across the country.
It’s a chance for us to highlight the enormous positive impact they have on the lives of the people we support.
We asked volunteers from across the organisation to share their stories and experiences of their time at Change Grow Live. We also asked staff from the services they volunteer at to share their thoughts about how their volunteers help to make a difference.
S
tephen’s story
Stephen is a volunteer at our service in Camden. He started out as a peer mentor, using his own experiences to help others make positive changes.
“I have been volunteering at Change Grow Live for some years now. Both Change Grow Live and the Single Homeless Project were really supportive in my own recovery, and six years later I’m clean and sober. Each day of volunteering is another day in recovery, and it’s a constant reminder of my journey.
“Becoming a peer mentor, and now a volunteer has been an amazing way of paying back my debt of gratitude. I can inspire and encourage others, because of my first-hand experience of addiction.”
Jane works at the same service as Stephen. She told us:
“Stephen has been an incredible volunteer. He helped us as a service throughout the pandemic. He has become an integral part of the team and has developed such skills and knowledge that he would be hard to replace! We are so grateful to you Stephen – your support has been immeasurable.”
Alisha’s story
Alisha volunteers as an Independent Visitor. In this role, she supports young people who are living in care or with a foster family.
“I work in law as my day job, which can be stressful but rewarding. Volunteering gives me the opportunity to have some fun, engage in an activity with the young person I support, and make a small but positive difference in her life. It’s nice to be that person somewhere between a professional and a friend, and to build that level of trust and relationship which allows her to come out of her shell and gain confidence. I have been volunteering for a year now and each visit I see progress.
“I first started as a volunteer because my sister found it rewarding, and because I had my own experiences with children’s charities when I was young. I am hoping my volunteering brings the person I’m working with stability, new experiences, growing confidence and memories to look back on later.
“Before Christmas we went ice skating together. She had never been before but after some prompting and encouragement, she felt comfortable enough to hold onto my arm around a few laps of the ice. Towards the end, she was skating on her own and even asked her foster carer to see the progress that she had made! It’s the little things but they make such a big difference.”
Peshva works at the same service as Alisha. She told us:
“It’s clear from any interaction that you have with her, that Alisha is just a really lovely person to be around. She is encouraging and supportive of others, passionate about her role and has a positive outlook to life. She may not always recognise how valuable these attributes are and how they can help someone along in their own journey, so we try to remind her! Alisha will not be expecting me to say any of this – I hope she doesn’t mind as it’s my small way of saying thank you to her.”
Read the full blog post here.
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This content was created by Change Grow Live