Volunteering with us: Small acts, big difference
At South London and Maudsley, we are supported by over 400 volunteers every year who bring their unique skills, experience and passion to the Trust. Volunteering is about more than giving your time it is about bringing people together, sharing what you love and helping others feel less alone.
Freya Thompson, Inpatient Services Volunteer Coordinator shared what our volunteers do and the range of skills they bring to support our inpatients on the wards.
On our wards, volunteering can span activities such as creative writing, arts and crafts, singing, music, exercise and more.
Freya said: "For our volunteers, experience or skills aren’t a requirement, it’s about what they can bring to the role. If you have something you are passionate about then we will help incorporate it in your volunteering role".
Passion is what makes volunteering so personal. The projects Freya enjoys most include the clothing bank and library project because of its friendly feel and the enjoyment of sharing new books. They seem like simple things, but they can make a real difference to someone's day who is on our wards.
Many people volunteer because mental health has touched their lives in some way. Freya says people often come forward because “they have lived experience, either friends or family, or want to learn more about mental health” and above all because “they have a desire to help people.”
That desire is something Joseph Kiguwa, BME Volunteer Coordinator, values deeply. “Volunteers are very important,” he says. “It’s amazing that people have that spirit and even with lived experience they have time to give to help other people, it is very valued indeed.”
For one volunteer, that impact has been life-changing. “Volunteering is my life at the moment,” they say, describing how it led them to new routines and interests including walking, choir and filmmaking.
After Covid, they saw how hard it had become for some people to reconnect with the world. They said: “Being able to interact with those friends of mine and bring them back out just through my volunteering was really good for me and for them.”
That is the heart of volunteering at SLaM, helping others, building community and discovering that even small acts can open the door to something bigger.
If you would like to get involved, you can find out more on the SLaM volunteering page, where the Trust shares current opportunities and how to apply.
Find out more about volunteering: Volunteering at South London and Maudsley