Happy New Year! I hope you had a peaceful and enjoyable festive season.
New Year is a traditional time for new ventures and new hobbies. If you’re feeling the urge, why not find out about the many volunteering opportunities in Frome?
Local charities like Fair Frome, Frome Birth Talk and Purple Elephant are always on the lookout for new people to run services, fundraise for them and raise awareness. Or, if you like chatting to people and sharing your knowledge, why not consider joining the Discover Frome team at the library, helping residents and visitors find the information they need?
In 2019, NCVO, the UK’s membership community for charities, voluntary organisations, and community groups, published ‘Time Well Spent: A National Survey on the Volunteer Experience’, reflecting the views of more than 10,000 volunteers across the UK. It’s obvious why charities and community organisations benefit from having volunteers, but it might surprise you to know what an enormous benefit it has for the volunteer! 77% of those surveyed said their mental health was positively affected and 68% said it made them feel better connected. The effect was strongest among 18- to 34-year-olds, 76-77% of whom felt less isolated through volunteering. A huge 93% of volunteers said they volunteer because they enjoy it. So, altruism is a wonderful thing, but you can also justify volunteering for your own wellbeing!
Sometimes taking the first step is the hardest thing when it comes to volunteering. Making it easier for people to volunteer for a cause that matters to them is at the heart of a new project at SPARK Somerset this year. Look out for more about that in the coming weeks; plans include sharing training opportunities and resources, breaking down barriers and making it possible for more of us to access those proven benefits of volunteering.
When I retired from my career in finance, I wasn’t planning to actually ‘retire’! I’ve really enjoyed throwing myself into volunteering and it’s certainly brought me a lot of joy and helped me feel truly connected to our community. I look forward to more of it in 2026.
Anita Collier
Pictured: Anita with local volunteer Radek Evans and Frome’s town crier Martin Scott
