In our team blog this month, our Communications Coordinator Wendy, shares how volunteering within the community helps inform her role at the Gloucestershire VCS Alliance.
Wendy also shares her three motivations for volunteering and the positive impact volunteering has on her wellbeing.
A year ago I moved to Gloucestershire and the People’s Republic of Stroud. My revolutionary spirit was soon channelled into tracking down local volunteering opportunities. I scoured Go Volunteer Glos and came across an advert for a studio volunteer at Imagine Therapeutic Arts – and despite my dubious artistic experience, offset by much enthusiasm, they took me on.
Since then, I’ve supported Robin, an expert facilitator at Imagine, every Wednesday morning as she runs sessions for their ‘Ageing with Soul’ programme. The group varies from 10 participants to four or five – and occasionally it’s only Robin, myself and one other participant, but it still runs, offering creative nourishment to older members of Stroud’s community.
So, why volunteer? Here are my three motivations:
1. Expands horizons and meeting new people
Through Imagine I meet different people in the community who I otherwise might not meet. After each art session we share our thoughts on whatever we’ve painted during the session and it’s always insightful to hear people’s comments and the memories that inspired their paintings.
In the last year we’ve covered topics as diverse as exploring the Narcissus myth and the London Blitz through to the perils of nursing in an intensive care unit during Covid-19 and the huge challenge of moving the BBC from Shepherd’s Bush to Salford. With so many precious memories to share, you never know what might come up next.
2. Learning new skills and supporting the community
My role at Imagine involves preparing materials for the session including the paints. Who knew the difference between Cerulean Blue and Prussian Blue or Rose Madder and Cadmium Red? And how you should clean a paintbrush, so you can actually use it again – no doubt something that will come in handy when I paint my dining room.
Away from the studio, I also help Robin and Imagine founder, Laura, with funding bids and the occasional magazine feature. It was thrilling to hear that an application we worked on together resulted in a grant of £500 enabling art materials and a special art table to be purchased from the proceeds.
Last year Imagine introduced a brilliant new course for carers and the cared-for. Uniquely, both experience their own art class in separate studios, so the carers can enjoy their own creative space while also meeting others in a similar role. Completely dependent on grants, the ‘Silvers and Carers’ group is continuing to run, but only because of the generosity of the local business community for which the Imagine team is very grateful.
3. Personal wellbeing – it’s fun!
The Wednesday sessions are a cherished part of my working week. A window into another world of colour and creativity, collages and paintings. This week we painted cosmic rainbows! Anything goes and there’s not a laptop or email in sight.
Recently, I’ve had another thought. It’s dawning on me that my volunteering at Imagine is a two-way process. It’s enriching my own life and helping me face my own ageing in a more positive way. Staying creative, being inspired and continuing to learn new things while helping others is an intoxicating and much-needed tonic, especially in these dark times.
Working at Imagine also helps me appreciate the huge role that volunteers play in our communities. They’re the glue that often holds everything together.
Plus, the icing on the cake is knowing that Gloucestershire VCS Alliance so generously supports my volunteering. It’s great to know that my line manager gets that my Wednesday art studio trips are a treasured part of my week. There again, perhaps she wants to create a cosmic rainbow too.
Find out more about volunteering opportunities in Gloucestershire
Go Volunteer Glos is the online 'home of volunteering' in Gloucestershire. Our Go Volunteer Glos team works with groups & organisations across the county, to ensure that local people aged 16+ can access a wide range of volunteer and trustee opportunities in Gloucester, Cheltenham, the Cotswolds, Forest of Dean, Stroud and Tewkesbury.
Go Volunteer Glos is free to use for both groups/organisations and individuals. You can find out more by visiting the Go Volunteer Glos website.
Interested in writing a guest blog?
We're currently building a new website and are looking for guest bloggers. If you're interested in writing a guest blog, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We would like to prioritise VCSE sector groups, organisations and partners at the moment. However, please do get in contact if you do not fit within these categories (we will be diversifying this offer so please do get in contact!).
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Support for the VCSE sector in Gloucestershire
We provide a range of support for VCSE sector groups & organisations of all shapes and sizes in Gloucestershire, including fully funded training & events, a range of thematic mailings, regular news updates, free membership and help recruiting volunteers.
We are the independent voice of the VCSE sector in Gloucestershire and are passionate about promoting equal partnerships at every level. You can find out more about how we work in partnership and represent the sector on our About Us page.
