Volunteers’ Week Blog 2: Aisling

Aisling writes about how volunteering benefits her clients and builds her own confidence.

I began volunteering at Mind in Bradford in January 2021 as a telephone befriender. I feel that offering support in the form of listening, encouraging and showing empathy to my clients on a weekly basis over the phone has a positive effect on my clients. They know that there is someone they can talk to and share how their week is going.  

I believe that showing concern and having interest in my clients helps them in their weekly routine, and they can share how they are coping and it gives them the opportunity to off-load and get things off their chest. Volunteering at Mind in Bradford has also helped me to develop confidence in myself. It gives me a sense of community and belonging as a part of something important that I hadn’t felt before, not being from the area.  

Posted on: 2nd June 2021