My time volunteering with Go LD

Meet Amy, a third-year BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care student who volunteers for Winchester Go LD, a local charity which enables adults with learning disabilities to live life to the full with the choices and independence that they want.

I have been volunteering with Winchester Go LD for just over 18 months, and I currently volunteer once a week. My role involves supporting members to feel more confident and empowered through any activities the charity puts on.

My passion

My Health and Social Care degree prepared me for my volunteering in several ways. Through learning about people and how we can support them, the importance of care and having discussions with my lecturers and peers, the course reinforced my passion for helping others. I have become more confident, increasingly inspired and driven to apply all I have learnt in any way I can, in the hope of making a difference. It is through all this that I decided to take the volunteering module and discovered my passion for working with people who have learning disabilities.

Developing key skills

I think the main skills I have developed while volunteering are active listening and teamwork. It goes without saying, but developing my active listening skills has been really important for building relationships with the members. It has also been important to work with staff members and other volunteers in ensuring that I can sufficiently support the members and help activity sessions run smoothly.

Best moment

The most enjoyable part of volunteering has been witnessing the members achieve and take part in so many amazing things, and thrive off the efforts of Winchester Go LD!

Just go for it

Advice I would give to students thinking about volunteering would be to just go for it. It can feel very nerve-wracking to start volunteering, but I am so glad I did! For me, volunteering has been so useful for my personal growth and gaining experience for the future. It has also been so valuable to see first-hand the positive impact the charity has on the connections and confidence of its members. I have learnt so much and possess a clearer idea of what I would like to do in the education sector once I graduate from university. Volunteering might be the best thing you ever do, so just go for it!

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