Many people may be nervous about approaching an organisation to offer their help. They may have very little information about the opportunities available, or lack the details of what these opportunities require in terms of time, skills or cost.
They may feel they have no skills to offer, or that their skills are inappropriate. In addition, they may have been out of paid employment for some time and feel nervous about meeting new people, being exposed to new environments and the possibility that they could be rejected. Finally, it may be very hard for people to express these worries to someone unfamiliar.
What to do
Think about what makes you feel welcome then do it! Foster a friendly, open, approachable environment and encourage people gently. Volunteers and volunteer practioners have highlighted the following specific practices as excellent ways of bolstering confidence:
include the volunteer’s support staff (e.g. key workers) in process work in partnership with community bridge builders and supported volunteering practioners run open ‘taster’ sessions prior to volunteering identify a named member of staff with specialist knowledge of mental health issues encourage trial volunteering periods develop graduated activities that increase responsibility over time run pre-volunteering training courses develop peer group support and regular group supervision sessions involve all volunteers in peer mentoring and buddying systems