It's Volunteers' Week - a time to celebrate the wonderful people who give their time and skills to make Save the Children's work possible. Wonderful people like Ying, who volunteers in our shop on Nicolson Street in Edinburgh.
How did you become a Save the Children volunteer?
It was the second semester of my graduate study, and I had more free time. I found some information about volunteering for a charity shop and this street is full of charity shops. I thought it would be a really interesting and meaningful thing to do. I chose to volunteer here because I used to work as a teacher, and while I’m not teaching children anymore, I can still support and help them. That’s the reason why I came to Save the Children and I think it’s the best choice I ever made.
What does your role involve?
I have three roles in the shop. The first role is shop volunteer; we welcome and serve customers and deal with everything happening in the shop. Second, I’m the rota administrator, so I schedule shifts for everyone to make sure our shop runs smoothly - something I am really proud of taking on. My third role is to recruit more people to help us!
How do you recruit new volunteers?
We’re in a very good location and people come to us. We have volunteers from all over the world, so it’s nice that they can share their experiences. It’s really fun. I used to be a very introverted person and was afraid of talking with people, but now I’ve become more confident.
What are your biggest challenges?
The biggest challenge for me is definitely languages. I’m not an English speaker - this is my second language - and sometimes it’s really hard to understand what people mean because British humour can be hard to understand! But the people here are very nice and friendly and always willing to explain a second time (or many times) until you understand!
What’s been your most memorable volunteering moment?
I was recently told I am going to receive an Inspiring Volunteer Award hosted by Volunteer Edinburgh! Barbara (my Shop Manager) secretly nominated me. When I first heard the news, I didn’t know what to say. Why have I been given this award?! It’s not my hometown and I’ve only been here two years which isn’t very long, but I have an award and that means I really did something meaningful. The award will be presented to me in the Edinburgh City Chambers during Volunteers’ Week. I invited Barbara as my guest to attend the ceremony!
What tips would you give to someone thinking of applying to volunteer?
- Just come and join us: You won’t regret it! It’s a really nice place to talk with people. When you’re a volunteer, you’ll always find and learn something new and that has the power to make you become a better person.
- Don’t be shy: You need to do something you’ve never tried before, and if you’re shy, you’ll lose your chance.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes: I’m a very clumsy person, I always make mistakes and the important thing is you should be honest with your mistake and try to find a way to solve it. If you need any help, just ask, because people are always willing to help you.
- It can be very flexible: You just need to let us know when you’re available. We want our volunteers to enjoy their time.
- Talk to someone who’s already volunteering: Talk to people who already have volunteering experiences if you have any questions or to find out more.
Feeling inspired? You can find out more about volunteering with Save the Children, and our latest opportunities including at our Nicolson Street shop in Edinburgh.
