By Jackie Chapman, Trustee & Secretary, WCA
After many years of voluntary work (now into my 14th year) I often end up in lengthy conversations with people about my motivation. The standard question “what do you do for a living” on first meeting a stranger invariably becomes complicated.
I last had a paid role in 2011, and fully intended to return to employment after a six-month career break from work as an accountant. My husband died in June of that year, and I was self-analytical enough to realise that I needed to find a different way of living if I was going to cope with the shock. No-one is more surprised than me that I found my volunteer roles so fulfilling that I continue with some of them right up to current date, and my career break never came to an end.
I’d done my research and was quite quickly accepted onto three volunteer schemes; The Met Police, Wimbledon Guild Befriending and Merton Libraries. I was amazed at the breadth of experience that these roles gave. I loved visiting my befriendee, a lovely 90-year-old lady called Angela. I spent every Wednesday afternoon chatting to her over tea and biscuits until she sadly died in 2014. Over that time, I got to know her daughters who were incredibly grateful for the time I gave to their mother. And there’s the motivation – not only did I enjoy Angela’s company, but her daughters’ gratitude made it feel so worthwhile.
The experience with the Met Police was also very special. I was assigned to general admin work in Wimbledon Police Station, and it felt a real privilege. I completed eight years in this programme.
Then in 2014 after a visit to the Royal Courts of Justice during London’s Open Buildings weekend, I discovered a charity that helped litigants-in-person cope with the process and paperwork in civil law cases, child contact arrangements, money claims and evictions, to name a few examples). After a period of training, I spent one day a week for the next nine years supporting people through some quite traumatic times in their lives. This was an incredible experience that changed my outlook and probably my politics for life. Cuts to legal aid by the Ministry of Justice has left most people cut off from legal support in civil law cases, forcing them to manage it all on their own. Truly terrifying when so much is at stake.
Throughout all this, I continued to volunteer at Colliers Wood Library, which I often describe as my happy place, and I can’t imagine a time when I don’t. I had volunteered in the library at secondary school and was delighted that I still remembered the shelving reference system. I love the process of the books moving in and out of the library. One of my favourite tasks is to be given the list of books that borrowers request from across the whole of the London Library Consortium. They need to be picked off the shelves and sent on their way to whichever library requests them. I then see them come back onto our shelves a few weeks later.
I also offer IT support to library users, which can include helping them with literally anything. I’ve helped with applications for passports, Oyster Cards, visas and so much more. I’ve also taught people to use a computer from scratch. If their working lives hasn’t involved computers, the digital revolution has left some people behind, unable to cope with the rapid changes. It’s becoming quite impossible to run basic life admin without access to a computer or the skills to use it. I’m very proud of the support I’ve been able to provide.
The reward for all my volunteer roles has been the obvious gratitude from the people I’ve supported. But I’ve also learned so much about different aspects of life, and about my own abilities. Along the way, I’ve picked up other roles, including being Trustee of this charity. My time is given freely and of course on my own terms. If I’m not largely enjoying the experience, then I can make changes to what I do. That was never an option in my paid career, and it’s a very powerful motivator. A real privilege, in fact.
Find great opportunities to volunteer and work for a good cause within your community on our jobs board!