Volunteers Making a Difference
To celebrate Volunteers’ Week from 2nd to 8th June 2025, we want to take a moment to recognise and thank all the incredible volunteers who have given their time and energy to support our local community. Your dedication has made a real difference in the borough, and we are especially grateful for the support you’ve shown during challenging times. Thank you for all that you do, your efforts truly matter, and we deeply appreciate every one of you.
My name is Maria, and I volunteer at Voluntary Action Islington as an Admin Assistant for the Resource Centre. I’ve been here for almost two months now, and it’s been such a lovely experience. I decided to start volunteering because I wanted to give a little of my time to a local organisation that supports the community.
I really enjoy being part of a team, meeting new people, and making new friends along the way. Everyone at VAI has been so kind and welcoming. Volunteering here has been really positive for me.
I’m learning new skills, and getting out of the house has done wonders for my mental wellbeing. It’s also given me the chance to connect with so many wonderful people. I like volunteering with this organisation. It’s a warm, supportive space, and being part of it has helped build my confidence.
I would definitely recommend volunteering.
Larysa
Hello, my name is Larysa and I volunteer at the Volunteer Centre Islington which is part of Voluntary Action Islington. I have been volunteering since 2024. I was motivated by a desire to help others by applying both my knowledge and volunteering experience. Previously, I volunteered as a primary school teaching assistant and as a maths tutor.
These roles helped me develop strong communication skills and played a key role in securing my first job in the UK. Also, after moving to the UK, I frequently supported other Ukrainian refugees by offering advice and guidance. Through this experience, I developed active listening skills, the ability to recognise individual strengths, offer meaningful encouragement, and inspire confidence in others to achieve their goals. I realised that these qualities could be useful to me in my efforts to give back to the community. This led me to apply for the position of Community Volunteering Advisor and begin my journey with VAI.
What I enjoyed most was learning from more experienced colleagues. I especially valued the opportunity to observe how they communicated with vulnerable individuals, how they identified their needs, offered appropriate support, and helped them overcome insecurities with encouragement and empathy. I also really enjoyed the various trainings I attended through VAI. The training sessions, including topics such as motivational interviewing and maintaining professional boundaries, have deepened my knowledge, and inspired me to further explore these subjects independently.
The benefit I have experienced personally is working as part of a team has helped me rediscover confidence in my own abilities and strengths. It’s important to me that my enthusiasm and dedication are supported and encouraged by those around me, this inspires me and gives me the freedom to express my creativity. These were exactly the feelings I experienced whilst volunteering at VAI. I’m grateful for the theoretical and practical experience I gained here, especially in working with clients. I sincerely wish the team continued success in achieving its goals, along with ongoing growth and development.
I would recommend volunteering to others, give it a try. For those who are unsure where to start, I would suggest choosing an activity that you really enjoy. For example, if you love reading, become a reading volunteer and share your passion with others.
Marleen
I have been volunteering with Voluntary Action Islington (VAI) for almost 3 years now as a Community Volunteering Advisor and find that volunteering has done so much for me in my personal and everyday life. It has helped me to shape, rebuild and find myself. Volunteering has made me feel valued, appreciated and given me a sense of belonging, purpose and loved.
I am connecting with people in our drop-in sessions having informal chats and communicating with them advising and supporting them in finding volunteering opportunities. I enjoy mixing and getting out and about in my community at our outreach events and volunteering fairs. I find this very good for my mental well being and keeps me updated and involved in what’s going on in my local area.
Being active is the key and getting out and about physically and mixing and developing relationships with others through my hobbies and interests is very good for me. I am a very versatile person and volunteering with VAI has given me confidence and has taught me not to limit myself in any area of my life.
I am a person that takes notice and has an eye for detail and pay attention to others. As a volunteer mixing with members of my community, I listen to people’s experiences of life that touches my heart as I can relate, show empathy and want to help and make a difference in their life. I never stop learning and like to push myself all the time and tend to give myself a hard time if I am not sure how to do something but find with volunteering you get a lot of help, support and training. I love my team and organisation I volunteer with.
Giving something back to my community, my time, effort and energy is so important to me, to just be able to touch some one’s life and make a difference. I care about people and has always been a giver and not a taker and find it nice to help those that appreciate me, I find it’s very rewarding.
Yosef
Hi, my name is Yosef. I’m 25 years old and currently a Community Volunteer Advisor at VAI. I volunteer with a charity that supports a range of organisations and community groups across the Islington Borough. We also help local residents find volunteering opportunities that match their interests. I’ve been volunteering for over six months now and have really enjoyed the experience.
Before moving to London in November, I volunteered in various roles while living in Scotland. Since joining VAI, I’ve loved getting to know the local community, making new friends, and giving back to those who welcomed me so kindly. Volunteering has helped me grow in many ways, it’s made me more empathetic, a better listener, and has really boosted my confidence. It’s been a powerful reminder of how important human connection is, and I’ve found it deeply fulfilling.
As someone who came here as a refugee, some of my favourite moments have been when friends visited and saw what I was doing, they were proud of me for giving back through volunteering. As a Community Volunteer Advisor, part of my role is to support and encourage others, so I would absolutely recommend volunteering. Whether it’s through VAI or another organisation, it’s a rewarding way to connect, grow, and make a real difference.
Nadia
My name is Nadia Gordon, and I volunteer with the Local Wellbeing Network (LWN) at Voluntary Action Islington (VAI) as a Support Officer. I began this role in February as part of my Empowering London module at London Metropolitan University, where I studied Human Nutrition. Although I have since completed both the module and my final year at university, I chose to continue volunteering with the LWN further to develop my professional, interpersonal, and administrative skills, particularly to improve my prospects of finding work shortly.
Being part of an organisation that is committed to supporting the local community has been quite rewarding. I enjoy contributing to efforts that empower volunteers, charities, and residents, and I have discovered that much of our work addresses public health issues. Interestingly, public health was one of my least favourite modules at university, but having the opportunity to engage with public health teams, partner organisations, and charities has completely changed my perspective. It has sparked a genuine interest in the field and given me a deeper appreciation of the challenges and efforts involved.
Through my volunteering, I have gained valuable insight into food aid provision and its vital role within local communities. I have met some dedicated people who do the groundwork, as well as some of the service users they support. Connecting with others involved in community engagement has also helped me better understand the concerns within our borough, while introducing me to the various services designed to address those concerns. When I first started looking for a placement for my university module, I did not expect to stay longer than necessary. But the role has turned out to be an ideal fit for what I studied, and I feel truly blessed. I have had the opportunity to write case studies, complete a report, participate in insightful meetings, and refine my administrative skills, including creating databases in Excel, drafting emails, and making calls. These experiences are helping to build my confidence and prepare me for the transition into paid work.
For anyone thinking about volunteering, I would say, do it. Whether you are hoping to build new skills, take on a fresh challenge, or explore a new area, there is everything to gain and nothing to lose. I never imagined how rewarding and relevant this role would become, and I am grateful for the growth and experience it is giving me.
Moji
Hi, my name is Mojisola Abosede Agarawu, and I’ve been volunteering as a Food Hub Facilitator with Voluntary Action Islington for the past five months. I chose to volunteer because I wanted to build a deeper connection with my community and be part of something meaningful. Having a sense of purpose and engaging in social interaction is important to me, as it helps reduce social isolation and supports mental wellbeing.
As a Food Hub Facilitator, I enjoy supporting residents, meeting new people, and sharing lived experiences. It’s a role that brings both fulfilment and learning. Over time, I’ve developed valuable skills, including time management, interpersonal communication, and teamwork. These are transferable skills that will benefit me both personally and professionally. I would recommend Voluntary Action Islington to anyone considering volunteering. It’s a supportive environment where you can make a real difference while gaining practical experience in areas like community engagement, cultural awareness, organisation, and collaboration.
For anyone considering volunteering, I’d say go for it! Volunteering is an opportunity to grow, learn, and connect with others. It’s an opportunity to be part of something greater than yourself, supporting people in need, helping local organisations thrive, and contributing to causes that truly matter to you. Yes, I would like to add that volunteering is not just about supporting the community but more about empowering myself. Every experience, challenge, and interaction I have had at Volunteer Action Islington has built more resilience in me, teaching me patience, empathy, and appreciation for teamwork.
Nana
Hi, my name is Nanama Santowa, and my role here is a cost-of-living partner. I’m volunteering for Voluntary Action Islington, also known as the Volunteer Centre. I work for the food hubs, where I serve as a food hub facilitator and a cost-of-living partner. So, what I do is I go to the food hubs and work in partnership with the cost-of-living partner, who helps bring assistance to those residents in the food hubs to identify any underlying issues they may have in coming to the food hubs, so that they can provide support.
You can watch more of the case study here.
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