I owe my existence to volunteering
By Helen Nickerson, Science and Strategy Manager at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer
My existence can be, quite literally, attributed to volunteering. My parents met when my dad was on a Boys’ Brigade rota to drive a minibus of adults with learning difficulties to a social club where my mum volunteered.
A young Helen, her mum and sister taking adults with learning difficulties on a holiday to Cornwall
He quickly volunteered to drive the bus every week! This led to the start of his own career in social work.
My parents are both lifelong volunteers, so whether genetic or environmental, I have developed the same ethos.
I have volunteered in many capacities, for example as an overnight volunteer at an New York City men’s homeless shelter, supporting teenagers in a community outreach project in Malawi, as a cub scout leader and parent council volunteer, but the common threads in these have been people and community.
Helen in Malawi
Volunteering can be really rewarding, lead to new connections and experiences and give a sense of achievement. When working in something like scientific research – where projects take a long time to come to fruition, it can be really motivating to do something shorter term with a clear and immediate impact.
My most recent volunteering stint has been five years as a cub scout leader. At times it felt like being a Blue Peter presenter – an unfulfilled ambition of mine! It used many skills I have developed over my career – organisation and planning, developing risk assessments, leading and motivating groups and listening and engaging to make sure our programme meets the needs and interests of the young people involved. Seeing them achieve new things, like camping away for the first time, climbing, axe throwing and setting and meeting their own goals, is very motivating.
Volunteering has also helped me connect more with our local community – for example making bird boxes with cubs (using power drill and saws with eight-year-olds – that was some risk assessment!) that were installed in Inverleith Park, and engaging with our local food bank. It has also allowed me to express my (limited) creative side – both by leading art and craft activities but also innovating new practices – for example ‘Invisible cow yoga’ which is now a standard morning activity at all of our cub camps.
We are all so busy, but for me the rewards of volunteering, including the friends and connections made, have (almost!) always outweighed the costs.
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