Monday 3^rd June – Sunday 9^th June

Volunteers’ Week is celebrating 40 years this year, making this a fantastic opportunity to inspire more people to volunteer and make a difference.

Volunteers’ Week celebrates the amazing contributions volunteers make to communities in the UK. It is the opportunity to recognise, praise, and thank all UK volunteers for everything they contribute to their local communities, the voluntary sector, and our society.

Throughout this week, there will be many events taking place around the UK, from open days and celebration events to online and in-person activities. This year, Volunteers’ Week will culminate in The Big Help Out, where people across the UK will get the chance to experience a range of volunteer taster sessions.

Volunteers at NIDAS

Volunteers play a crucial role for us here at NIDAS. They provide vital support and assistance to survivors in their journey towards recovery. Their selfless dedication and compassion create a safe and nurturing environment where survivors feel heard, valued, and supported. Volunteers offer a listening ear, emotional support, and practical guidance, helping survivors rebuild their lives and regain a sense of control and independence.

With their unique skills, life and professional experiences, and commitment, their tireless efforts make a significant difference for the lives of survivors, fostering a culture of resilience, empathy, and support within NIDAS and the wider community.

For Volunteers’ Week 2024, we would like to celebrate our volunteers and have asked some of our dedicated volunteers to share their experiences of volunteering at NIDAS.

Martin Cook – NIDAS Interim Chair of Trustees

1. What have you done to volunteer for NIDAS?

I joined NIDAS as a Trustee in January 2024. I first heard about the charity and the services it provides many years ago when I took part in a fashion parade at Nottingham Council House. As our previous Chair recently stepped down, I am now Interim Chair of the Board of Trustees.

2. Why is volunteering important to you?

I am a firm believer in the importance of giving something back to the community; this is especially important at the moment as statutory service are under great financial pressure and resources are stretched. I have worked in and know the vital part played by the third sector in the wider economy of support service provision across the East Midlands.

3. Do you have any special skills that come in use when volunteering at NIDAS?

I bring an understanding of the benefits and challenges to third sector service delivery from a varied professional background in health and social care (including spells in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support and Self Help UK) in frontline, management and training roles). I have also owned and run a business (a training provider for health and social care staff and management qualifications), which has taught me useful business skills in terms of strategic planning and having an oversight of how strategy and operations need to work together.

4. What have you personally achieved for yourself and for NIDAS as a volunteer?

As a volunteer with NIDAS, I have increased my knowledge of the support needs of individuals experiencing domestic abuse and of the importance of a person-centred approach in ensuring effective support for them.

5. What is your fondest memory of volunteering for NIDAS?

Attending the NIDAS Art Exhibition in January this year. This was a touching and moving testimony to the importance of the support services provided by NIDAS. All the exhibits were by individuals who had experienced domestic abuse and told their own story of this in their own way.

6. What would you say to others considering becoming a volunteer?  

I would ask them to give it a try! The beauty of volunteering is that you are offering as much of your time as you want to. It is definitely a very rewarding experience and a good opportunity to broaden your knowledge, skills, and perspective.

 

Tarra Carrington – NIDAS Treasurer

1. What have you done to volunteer for NIDAS?

I am the Treasurer on the Board of Trustees. I oversee how the funds received are spent and that they are utilised correctly.

2. Why is volunteering important to you?

I enjoy helping people and volunteering enables me to give something back to a worthy cause.

3. Do you have any special skills that come in use when volunteering at NIDAS?

I have worked in a financial setting for most of my working life, so I can bring those skills into my role as Treasurer.

4. What have you personally achieved for yourself and for NIDAS as a volunteer?

This is my first financial experience in the Charity sector, which has been a good learning opportunity for me. I have also enjoyed building good working relationships with my fellow trustees and learning from their varied skills to become an effective board member.

5. What is your fondest memory of volunteering for NIDAS?

Working tirelessly together as a team for the best outcome of NIDAS.

6. What would you say to others considering becoming a volunteer?

Do you have the passion and desire to make a difference? Do you have the drive to work together as an effective team member?

 

Cathy Hornby – NIDAS Trustee

1. What have you done to volunteer for NIDAS?

I am a trustee, which is a role of governance carried out by volunteers.

2. Why is volunteering important to you?

I have a passion for helping others and volunteering is one way to do this.

3. Do you have any special skills that come in use when volunteering at NIDAS?

I have a business background, which is useful for commercial and strategic decisions at board level, as well as in my day job, I am also a relationship builder and enabler at all stakeholder levels.

4. What have you personally achieved for yourself and for NIDAS as a volunteer?

I only joined NIDAS last year but is has been a pleasure to meet my fellow trustees and work together appreciating their different skills and backgrounds. Having a diverse set of trustees is helpful to make good governance decisions for NIDAS.

5. What is your fondest memory of volunteering for NIDAS?

Working tirelessly with the other trustees to achieve being an effective board.

6. What would you say to others considering becoming a volunteer?

What is driving you? Where do you feel you can contribute?

 

Kelsa Phipps – Sessional Worker and Volunteer at NIDAS 

1. What have you done to volunteer for NIDAS?

I have supported the team with admin tasks, coffee mornings, wellbeing workshops, art exhibition, and general extra days and hours when needed.

2. Why is volunteering important to you?

I would like my strengths, knowledge, experience, and skills to give something back to the community.

3. Do you have any special skills that come in use when volunteering at NIDAS?

I have a wealth of administration experience and skills that I am able to use in my volunteering role.

4. What have you personally achieved for yourself and for NIDAS as a volunteer?

I have achieved more training and knowledge of domestic abuse to be able to understand in more depth what is needed to be able to support individuals and families. I have pushed myself outside my comfort zone, such as delivering a coffee morning to survivors.  I have been doing client check-in’s, which has pushed me to tap into my counselling skills that I have learn from a counselling course.

5. What is your fondest memory of volunteering for NIDAS?

The art exhibition NIDAS hosted in January where survivors created a wide variety of art to share their experiences with others.

6. What would you say to others considering becoming a volunteer?

Do it! It makes you feel amazing and when you are with an amazing charity like NIDAS it makes me extremely happy.

 

Leanne T – Volunteer

1. What have you done to volunteer for NIDAS?

I offer my support to deliver the Freedom Program and offer my continued support to survivors of domestic abuse. I am also in the process of developing a coffee morning/wellbeing group for all survivors.

2. Why is volunteering important to you?

NIDAS is a charity that has helped me throughout the years tremendously. This sector is something I have personal experience in and feel I have gained a lot of knowledge around this and would therefore like to offer that to others.

3. Do you have any special skills that come in use when volunteering at NIDAS?

I am a very caring and compassionate person; I work well under pressure and am able to stay calm and keep composed when dealing with situations. I also have life experience, and therefore, can relate to survivors when offering my support, which I feel is very important.

4. What have you personally achieved for yourself and for NIDAS as a volunteer?

I am very passionate about the support I offer and for me personally, I feel very proud that I am able to turn such a negative part of my life into such a positive by being able to support survivors to the very best of my ability. I have achieved a lot of knowledge in this sector and will continue to support NIDAS in any way that I can and take great pleasure in doing so.

5. What is your fondest memory of volunteering for NIDAS?

My fondest moment was when completing the first Freedom Program I delivered and seeing the impact of the knowledge and the understanding the survivors gained from completing this course.

 

Thank you to all of our volunteers, especially those featured here for their time, commitment, and support. Without volunteers, NIDAS wouldn’t be able to support as many survivors as it does.

If you feel inspired, and would like to volunteer your time to support our vital work at NIDAS, please get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Find out more about volunteering.