UK charity welcoming new volunteers as candidates increase
A registered UK charity is welcoming a host of new volunteers to its ranks after witnessing an increase in people keen to donate their time and expertise post Covid.
Astriid, which was founded by David Shutts, OBE in 2017 helps those with long term conditions and disability to find inclusive work opportunities. It has welcomed a slew of new volunteers in the first three months of the year, as skilled people from all walks of life seek to use their time and expertise as a means of giving back to deserving causes, organisations and individuals.
The influx of support comes at a crucial time for the third sector overall, with many charities finding that their services are in greater demand while donations and fundraising support has waned following the pandemic. The UK’s Charity Commission reports[1] that a third of charities faced a shortage of volunteers during the pandemic, while 60% say they experienced a loss of income.
For Psychology graduate Katy Francis, volunteering was a great way to restore her confidence and direction after signing up with Astriid in search of work. She said, “As I had been out of work for a while, I felt lacking in confidence and direction, and I felt unsure of what my capacity for work was. I thought volunteering with Astriid would be a great way to tackle these issues and build myself up to get into paid work, whilst also helping other people like myself.
“Volunteering is great for working out what type of work suits you, but it also is incredibly beneficial in providing a sense of purpose and community. Volunteering for a cause you care about can have a profound impact on your sense of wellbeing. I am so grateful for the support and opportunities Astriid offered me when I felt so lost being out of work due to my health. After volunteering for some time, I now feel very proud to be a member of Astriid’s staff. The whole experience truly did change my life.”
Sales and marketing expert Guy Milsom was inspired to put his extensive corporate background to work for a different kind of organisation. He said, “Having had 20 years + working in the private sector, I wanted to apply my skills to help a charitable organisation that is trying to do good. For me, using some of my existing skills to help Astriid was the main point of volunteering and by using Matchable, I was able to provide relevant support to help it communicate its offer and proposition more effectively.”
Charity CEO Steve Shutts said, “Guy and Katy, along with our other wonderful volunteers, are an incredible asset to us and bring with them a real depth of experience across a spectrum of industries and areas of expertise. We are fortunate to have experienced a notable increase in the number of people interested in volunteering with us in recent months, which somewhat bucks the overall trend. This is something that we’re very keen to see continue.”
To find out more about Astriid’s work, visit: www.astriid.org
[1] https://charitycommission.blog.gov.uk/2021/10/28/what-new-research-tells-us-about-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-charities/