Volunteering
Sharing skills and time with organisations that really matter to you is an incredibly meaningful way to spend your time, especially when living with the daily impact of arthritis. Volunteering your time can offer a fantastic distraction from painful symptoms, help you connect to others, and develop skills in new areas of your life.
Just some of the benefits for volunteering are included below.
Make a difference
If you live with arthritis, or are close to someone else living with arthritis, then you have a core understanding of how the condition can affect us. You may know how it feels to have flare ups that interfere with plans or stop you from doing activities you enjoy. These experiences can prove incredibly valuable when volunteering. Your time and skills may make a huge difference to the lives of others affected by arthritis.
Start a new hobby
Volunteering can be a hobby in itself. Giving your time to help an organisation like Arthritis Action can offer an enjoyable opportunity to develop your skillset, meet new, like-minded people, give something back to your local community, and engage with a cause close to your heart.
Volunteering as a distraction technique
Volunteering provides a fantastic distraction to long-term pain conditions such as arthritis. Focusing on something outside of your usual day-to-day life can help you stay positive and remind you that you’re not alone in your experiences.
Help yourself by helping others
Getting involved with a charity or project you feel passionate about can be incredibly motivating and energising, giving you a sense of purpose and connection that seeps into every part of your life. After volunteering even once, many people enjoy it so much that they never stop!
Volunteer fundraiser Andrew said:
“As I have discovered, arthritis is extremely painful. Once I started sharing my experience with others, I understood how it debilitates people’s lives and how personally it strikes. The organisation is at the forefront of fundraising, awareness and arthritis support. I know if hard-earned money is raised, then it will be well invested.”
Ways to get involved
Whether you have arthritis yourself and want to help raise awareness of how people can self-manage their condition, or you’re keen to pursue a career in the charity sector, we would love to hear from you!
There are lots of other ways you can get involved, from fundraising events (either as a participant or a cheerleader), networking and promoting the charity to your friends and family, to a digital volunteer sharing your experiences on our website and social media.
If you would like to get involved with our charity in any way, please do get in touch by email at info@arthritisaction.org.uk or phone at 0203 781 7120. We’d love to hear your ideas, or tell you what opportunities are currently available from us.