Meet the Woman Behind Our Big Weekend In and Fantastic Volunteer... Hazel
Volunteer Hazel
To round of Volunteers’ Week, one of our volunteers, Hazel, tells us why she loves volunteering.
My volunteering ‘career’ started in earnest in 2013 in the lead up to the Glasgow Commonwealth games. I had applied to become a Clydesider and started investigating what other opportunities were available. I found my way into a network of organisations, charities and amazing opportunities that I had never been aware of.
Around this time, I also met Lynne by a chance encounter at an event that involved a wall built of chocolate bricks…. strange, but true, and the rest….as they say…is history!
I’ve had many ‘wow’ moments as a volunteer. I’ve danced with gymnast Louis Smith, I’ve supported the GB team at the Davis Cup finals in Ghent in 2015, I’ve driven some amazing cars as a volunteer driver (a Jaguar with a heated steering wheel being my favourite), I’ve attended the Queen’s Garden Party at Holyrood and my all time ‘pinch me’ moment was appearing on stage with Take That as part of a volunteer cast in their 2015 tour.
Volunteering, however, isn’t always about these big memorable moments. For me, it has been so much about the people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve made over the years. It’s about all the connections you make and understanding the impact of the time you spend with people. It’s about the ripples of kindness that happen from what may seem at the time, like an insignificant action or word. It’s about so much more than I can actually put into words.
In addition to volunteering I’ve also caught the fundraising bug. Prior to my involvement with It’s good 2 give, I had supported another charity and completed five overseas treks for them. I’ve now visited parts of the globe that I would never have seen and had experiences and made lifelong friends that I wouldn’t have otherwise. I’ve done Kiltwalks , a zipslide across the Clyde, and most recently organised an online festival fundraiser.
There is nothing special about me. I don’t have any particular talents or skills. I simply embrace opportunities and enjoy exploring the ‘what if’s’ in life. I enjoy meeting people and actually I’m just naturally inquisitive. If anything positive has come out of our current situation it is the growing sense of community and our connections to other people. I hope that this spills over once lockdown is lifted, and that people will continue to want to help. Volunteering doesn’t have to be time-consuming and the rewards may not be financial, but they can be so much more rewarding.
So if asked the question ‘why volunteer’ ……I’d say, why not.
You have nothing to lose and SO much to gain.
Hazel
Hazel, along with her friend Laura came up with the idea for the It’s good 2 give Big Weekend last weekend. Lots of their friends, families and colleagues, along with other It’s good 2 give Volunteers gave up their time to give everyone a fantastic weekend of entertainment.
So far the event has raised over £1600!
It was such a success, we might just do it again :)