Volunteering at create

Volunteering can be a powerful way to bring people together, strengthen communities, and inspire personal growth.

But don’t take our word for it — three of our volunteers have shared their own experiences, highlighting the personal rewards, the connections they’ve made, and the lasting memories they’ve created with Create.

We spoke to Ben from Reed Smith, who volunteered on our creative:release project, which empowers adult carers who attend Carers Centre Tower Hamlets. Harriet from Brown-Forman shared her experience of volunteering on art:links, a London-wide programme that engages vulnerable older people in creative arts. And Sheen from Ashurst reflected on their time on creative:engagement, our multi-artform project designed for older people living with dementia or mental ill health.

THE VALUE OF GIVING BACK

Harriet: “People can be so busy in work life, they don’t stop and think of others, or spend time helping others. People can get so wrapped up in the day-to-day. So, I think volunteering, and taking that time out to focus on something that’s for other people, is such a nice opportunity. Personally, it’s made me realise that I want to carry on giving back moving forward.”

Sheen: “I’ve got elderly relatives back home in Singapore. As I can’t be there to spend time with them, I wanted to spend time with people who might be feeling similar things. I wanted to give back in this way.”

the importance of creativity

Harriet: “I think [creativity] is important for a number of different reasons, especially from a work perspective. Some people think in a very tunnel visioned way and have a very set mindset. But when you take a step back and do something that’s creative, it really makes you think outside the box. And that encourages you to think like that in the workplace. It makes you break the mould of what you’re doing and look at alternative ways.”

Ben: “As corporate office professionals, we don’t necessarily get a chance to be creative in the workspace. [Taking part in this workshop] made me realise just how important taking that break from the screen actually is. I think having that break is so needed for mental health and your actual physical health.”

Harriet: “Art is really relaxing. It gives you that time to switch off and relax and immerse yourself into something that’s very fun and relaxing. And everyone’s perfect is so different, so it will never be perfect.”

DEVELOPING PERSONAL AND PROFFESSIONAL SKILLS

Sheen: “I think volunteering has definitely contributed to my personal and professional growth. I think something I’ve become better at through this experience is being a good listener. With the participants, they come from very different backgrounds from the clients we interact with day to day at a professional firm. It trains you to listen to a different, diverse group, so it rounds out my listening skills as a whole. Additionally, just being able to connect with these people also helps you to practice empathy. I think [volunteering] definitely makes you a more well-rounded person and it’s also good for your personal wellbeing.”

Ben: “Developing those interpersonal skills and having that personal connection was just lovely. There was one participant who was quite shy and kept herself to herself. But I sat down with her and we started building this lovely plasticine set of her house and her son, who she cares for. We got talking about the things her son loves to do, and how she cares for him. It was so nice to be a part of and to have her telling me about their life. At the end she was so proud of herself because she wasn’t a particularly artsy person. You could see the pride on her face and that it was such a cathartic experience for her. It was so nice to be a part of. I thought; ‘this is wonderful, this is what it’s all about.’”

the impact of volunteering at create

Ben: It was an absolute pleasure to take part and it left me feeling so good. This was such a nice thing to have done, I went to the project and came out of it and just had a smile on my face for the rest of the day. I was just glad I was able to give [Create’s participants] a hand and be part of something that they enjoyed.”

Sheen: “One of the participants opened up to me and shared about how much she really enjoys the sessions. She told me how much she looks forward to them and how it really makes her week and she gets really excited in the build-up. So, knowing that what we are doing really matters to the participants has been a key highlight for me. But even if we don’t hear it directly, we see it. We can see that they’re happy.”

Ben: “Because we [Reed Smith] have done so many projects with Create, you have a whole community of people who [have volunteered on projects]. I can turn around to someone on a different floor and ask how their week’s [volunteering] went. Even if I’ve only done one project, you do feel part of a wider community, and it’s such a nice feeling. Plus, it makes a nice break from talking about legal work at lunch!”