Roxana is an international student in the English Department, studying her MA English: Issues in Modern Culture. She is an Oxfam charity shop volunteer and a befriender for Age UK Westminster. She tells us about her experience in both roles, what she's learned from each of them, and why she would recommend trying out multiple volunteer roles.
Tell us a little about your volunteering!
Currently, I volunteer for Oxfam twice a week in their charity shop, sometimes less, sometimes more, timetable-permitting. For Age UK, I visit an older woman at her apartment every weekend.
I chose these two roles because they were radically different from anything I have done before. I've worked as a teacher for most of my adult life so far, and though there were a lot of great teaching or tutoring volunteer positions on the directory, I wanted something that would teach me a different set of skills, especially interpersonal skills, and in the case of Age UK, pastoral care.
How did you find out about the roles?
I found them through the Union’s Volunteering website. It was very helpful. I always wanted to volunteer, but I did not know what was available or where to start. So the directory was a great asset that brought everything together in one place.
Why did you want to become a volunteer?
It is something that I've always wanted to do. I've been working since I was very young, and most of my jobs in the past were very isolated. So I wanted to transform that and become more involved in the community. I thought volunteering would be the best way to achieve this. I was very busy working and studying throughout my undergraduate programme, and I decided that I would make time for volunteering when I went to grad school. So coming to UCL, I was determined to find a volunteering position.
What difference do you feel you’ve made by volunteering?
At Oxfam, I know there is a huge external impact. Whilst it is indirect, it is just as important to me because the organisation supports a global cause I care a lot about. You cannot really see the direct impact of your work, but you know it is there.
Contrastingly, with Age UK, you can see the direct effect on the person you are visiting. Having someone to talk to every week has such a significant impact. It is a constant highlight that my consistent presence has helped another person so visibly.
What impact has volunteering had on you?
Both roles have been very challenging in the best of ways and have taught me so much about myself. With Age UK, having the chance to build a connection with someone whose life and circumstances are entirely different from mine is amazing. I've learned so much from our conversations!
As for Oxfam, it impacted me in more pragmatic terms. I have learned a lot of different practical skills, such as working the till, customer service, as well as arranging the shop in various ways to make it more inviting. I also learned to work with donations, handle money, and so on. There are many very pragmatic, fascinating, and challenging skills that I really, really love doing now, especially as my study programme is quite theoretical and involves a lot of reading. So carrying out these different activities throughout the week is very refreshing.
What’s the best thing about volunteering?
Well, most importantly, helping others. That’s the obvious one! Volunteering makes you rethink how you can help people. We are always encouraged to donate monetarily, but not all of us can do that. Donating your time instead of money is very transformative, mainly because we are constantly encouraged to think of time as a possession or a material thing, right? That time is there to generate profit. I believe volunteering helps you redefine your relationship with time and think of it more as something that you can share freely with others for no gain other than the satisfaction of the impact that you can have. And I think volunteering is beneficial both for pragmatic reasons, in terms of skills learned, and for your well-being, knowing you helped someone.
And the most challenging? How did you overcome the challenges?
In the Oxfam store, it was the mundane retail-related challenges. I think most people could relate to the struggle that customer service can have. But all issues that arise can be overcome with practice. It is such a great learning experience because you are presented with these challenges that you must deal with, so your creativity thrives.
In my Age UK role, there are a lot of unexpected challenges, especially related to empathy. We did receive an induction, but we were not necessarily trained in pastoral care. When visiting and befriending, you need to work on your interpersonal skills and understand that your position in life is very different from that of the person you are visiting. You need to learn to be willing to adjust and accommodate their needs and opinions. Then, most importantly, you need to learn how to deal with challenges connected to mental health, or old age specifically, that you are not necessarily familiar with. Finally, you must exercise radical empathy and inform yourself as much as possible to overcome these challenges. Consult external resources, reflect, etc. That is how I have done it and am still doing it, and I think we have had some very positive results.
Tell us about something memorable that’s happened to you whilst volunteering
This is small and silly, but I really enjoyed our Christmas Party at Oxfam. We had a small in-shop Volunteer Christmas Party with a few treats to eat and a glass or two to drink. It was an enjoyable evening and a very wholesome atmosphere because we have volunteers from everywhere in the world and of all ages. It was great to hear everyone's reasons for volunteering and all the different things they get out of their position. They put so much into the project. It is inspiring!
I think a really amazing memory from Age UK is the overall progress we made that I got to witness. My first visit was very tense because the lady I was visiting was in a bad place mentally at the time. It proved to be very challenging to work through what she was going through. Then, from this session to the next, I saw real change. My presence that day helped her navigate that week, and so the next week, she was livelier, which really impacted me. I constantly look back to that day and think, ‘Wow, that’s amazing, how far we have come’. Each week afterwards, when I would come, she would look a little better.
Would you recommend volunteering? If so, why?
Of course, I would recommend it! I think everyone should find their own niche in volunteering. So many people probably think of volunteering as a very people-driven, people-centred thing. But there are so many positions that have to do with event coordination, coding, designing, and so on. If you don’t want emotional responsibility, you can do other things to help. At Oxfam, for example, you don't have to work the till if you don't feel like it, you can help with the donations and sort through things. So there will be something for everyone. I really recommend finding that because it will change the way you see your time and others, and you will learn new skills. It’s also refreshing to do something that is not for profit or grades.
Any advice to busy Master’s students on how to manage their time to fit in volunteering?
I will say start small. It’s very easy to overschedule yourself, especially if you like the position. You think, 'OK, I'll take more and more work because this is for such a good cause and I want to help'. So, the first thing is to be realistic. Think in weekly units, but also stick to that small amount you committed to. I think it is very comforting as work piles on that this is a volunteer position that you can sometimes cancel, but I would encourage everyone to try and stick to it. Set a day and say, 'OK, this is the day I'll do it' - and do it every week. I think that is the key.