Fur The Love of Volunteering | By Josie Deacon

By Josie Deacon

Photography by Josie Deacon and the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home  

Did you know that volunteering can improve your mental health?

Studies have found that volunteering leads to a better sense of wellbeing and an improved mental state. From my own experience I know this to be true.

In March 2018, I was unemployed and had a lot of free time on my hands. I didn’t want my CV to look empty either, so I thought volunteering for somewhere would be the perfect excuse to get out of the house and keep busy. I wanted to volunteer at an animal shelter because I love animals, but the waiting lists are very long. Luckily, The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home got in contact with me saying I was added to their waiting list, but suggested that I might be interested in volunteering in one of their charity shops. Having worked in retail previously, I thought this would be a fairly easy way to spend some time, and a great chance for me to meet new people.

Now, almost a year on, I have a wonderful job but I am still volunteering at the shop. Why? Because I fricking love it.

Not only do I get to meet new and familiar doggies (as doggos are very welcome in the shop and get free bikkies as a thank you for being good boys and girls), I have met a community of volunteers with similar beliefs and I have achieved a wonderful sense of fulfilment. And most of all, it’s actually fun. Volunteering in a shop is very different from working in retail. In most retail shops, you can’t sit down, you can’t have food, drinks or your phone on the shop floor and you can’t arrange the shop however you please. In a charity shop you are more than welcome to sit down and have your phone, and they are very keen on people getting creative with the displays. Plus there’s always something to do. New donations arrive daily so there’s a chance to discover great new stock, price items and display stock how you wish.

I think the reason volunteering is such a boost to your mental health is because of the feeling of doing good, otherwise known as altruism. When you’re working in a charity shop, you’re helping sell stock for homeless doggies and kitties (or whatever the cause). When you work in retail, you’re helping sell to raise money for….The Man™ …*shudders*.

But in charity shops, you believe in where the profits are going, you meet people with similar interests who are kind and warm, and you make friends with people from different backgrounds and generations.

It has been noted in studies that some volunteering can have negative effects on your mental health, and this tends to be frontline disaster volunteering (perhaps helping people in an earthquake crisis). This is due, however, to charities not giving their volunteers the mental health support they need to deal with the trauma. Which is why charities like The Samaritans are brilliant — at the end of every volunteer’s shift, they check in with their manager and have the opportunity to debrief. It’s so important for volunteers working with vulnerable people in traumatic situations to have support for their own mental health.

The articles and art featured in Fearless Femme’s magazine and online daily content are created by volunteers too. These volunteers usually are dealing with their own mental health, and turn to creativity as an outlet to express themselves and their thoughts. In a survey sent to our volunteers, 72% felt helping others through Fearless Femme helped their own mental health. This is fantastic and exactly the reason Fearless Femme was set up.

I would highly recommend if you had even just a couple of hours a month free, to volunteer. Think of a cause or interest that you are most passionate about (animal welfare, homelessness, disabilities, discrimination…) and find a charity nearby that shares that passion. There’s a tonne of websites that post volunteering options, so it’s worth starting there. And if you’re Edinburgh based and love animals, EDCH are always looking for more volunteers!