Volunteering – not just for your CV

Starting out

I recently volunteered remotely at Age UK Kensington & Chelsea as a poetry reader to lonely older persons. To be honest, when I had first got started with volunteering opportunities it was primarily because I didn’t have work experience and I believed it would make moving towards internship opportunities a lot easier. While volunteering does certainly boost your CV, this volunteering experience changed my life.

Group poetry sessions with Age UK

While I have previous experience of volunteering as a grant writer and a content creator, this was completely different. At Age UK, my role was as a poetry reader, where I found, read, and discussed poems with a small group of older people via Zoom every Wednesday. That one hour each Wednesday quickly became the highlight of my week. It was immensely satisfying and fulfilling to engage lonely older persons in animated and heated poetry discussions which entertained them and brought smiles to their faces. Most unexpectedly, however, I learnt a host of skills as well.

Through trial and error, I learnt how to host a session, make a discussion interactive and erase my stage fright. I learnt to navigate sensitive topics for the given age group through poetry, and in the process built a close friendship with the group as we opened up discussions around death and illness. Through poetry, I was able to transport older persons to a favourite time in their childhood, a sport they had previously enjoyed or a place they wished to visit - I felt a sense of purpose and fulfilment in bringing more colour to their lives.

The benefits of volunteering

Volunteering has been hugely rewarding for me. It has helped me to decrease my stress levels, focus on others instead of myself, increase my confidence, make meaningful connections with others and provided me with fresh perspectives. I feel that it also makes me more employable, and have also experienced increased life satisfaction which impacts my other activities, even increasing my productivity.

The UCL volunteering page provides a host of volunteering opportunities from where you can choose your interest. My advice to those looking to volunteer would be to keep an open mind and to learn and practice skills in this risk-free environment. Use this as an opportunity to discover your interests and find issues that are important for you. Also, don’t overcommit! As students with already chaotic lives an assignment deadline with a volunteering commitment can lead to undue stress. With a number of virtual volunteering opportunities available, making an impact in the lives of yourself and others has never been easier.

Sign up to attend the Digital New Year Volunteering Fair on Wednesday 20 January.

Find out about Volunteering opportunities through Students’ Union UCL. 

Priyam Deka, BSc Population Health Sciences with Data Science