Voluntary work helps build Linsay’s confidence

One of our customers says her voluntary work has helped her rebuild her confidence as she looks to find paid employment in the future.

Linsay Hudson, from Birmingham, has been volunteering with FareShare for several months after working with our Employment and Skills Advisor Rob Friday.

Rob helped Linsay identify opportunities to ease her back into the workplace and suggested volunteering with FareShare as a starting point.

“I was trying to get back into work and to get the confidence to start moving on from being isolated at home,” added Linsay.

“I’d been out of work for a long time and, with the lockdown as well, it didn’t make it any easier. Rob helped ease me back into things.

I’d done voluntary work before, and after speaking with Rob, I felt more volunteering was the best option at that time. It’s almost a stepping stone for me.

“I’m really quite pleased with how things have turned out.”

Linsay’s volunteering with FareShare a couple of times a week. She’s boxing up the food orders ready for their delivery to different charities.

She added: “It’s given me a little bit more confidence and it’s building up my social skills.

Being isolated, it can be quite daunting and that can knock your confidence, but by doing this and getting back into that sort of environment can only be a positive.

“It can be quite physical at times, which can be a bit difficult, but it’s cheaper than paying for a gym membership!”

Linsay said she hopes her voluntary work will help in her quest to find paid work.

She added: “I’m slowly building myself back up. I hope this experience will help me find paid work. It can only be a positive.

“I’d absolutely recommend volunteering.

Sometimes, there’s more to working than money. If you’re volunteering, it works for your mental wellbeing and for the organisation, so it is win-win all round.”