How long have you been volunteering for Mind in Mid Herts? How did you hear about them?

I have been volunteering since January 2021 and I honestly haven’t looked back since. I have always been aware of Mind in Mid Herts and the great work that they do. One of my friends was a previous employee so I was regularly hearing about the important projects Mind in Mid Herts were doing.

What made you want to join and help?

A very close friend of mine had been suffering for a long time with her mental health and unfortunately in 2020 things got too hard for her and she took her own life. It was a devastating time, and made me see life with new eyes. I wanted to raise more awareness for mental health and really drum home to people just how important it is. I started my Mind in Mid Herts journey through a fundraiser, running 100km in 30 days and raising over £800, but more importantly mental health awareness. I wanted to do more, I wanted to help people who may have been feeling the same way as my friend. I got in touch with Mind in Mid Herts about their volunteering opportunities and from there I started training for their ‘Keeping in Touch Calls’, which are regular calls to check in with people who feel they need extra support and someone to speak to or to listen.

How often do you volunteer for the project and do you balance this with work or other commitments?

Mind and Mid Herts have been really flexible with my volunteering hours and adapting them to my work and other commitments. I volunteer every Tuesday evening after work, it’s been easier to balance this as the majority of us are now working remotely due to COVID19, but regardless of the extra time I get back from my commute Mind in Mid Herts ensure that I feel comfortable with the amount of support I am giving. I’m dedicated to volunteering for Mind in Mid Herts, even if I could only find time to speak to one person a week it would be more beneficial than speaking to none.

Why are volunteers so important?

Volunteers are so important! I hear it from Mind in Mid Herts themselves and from the people that need the extra support. It can be incredibly difficult to express how we are feeling especially if we are in a low place and having someone to speak through things, who won’t pass judgment and is just there to help and listen has an unmatched impact. It really makes a difference and I feel proud to be part of a community that appreciates the important role volunteers have on the project.

Why would you recommend people to volunteer?

I would 100% recommend anyone to volunteer, it is so fulfilling to know and hear that you are helping people who really need some extra support. For me, it is so worth giving up an evening of my week because I know how valuable it is to the people on the other end of the phone.