A volunteer shares an important story on World Mental Health day 2024
Ali Jeffrey has been a loyal volunteer to Devon Air Ambulance for more than six years. This year, in recognition of World Mental Health Day 2024, Ali has shared some of her personal experiences with PTSD and childhood trauma to highlight the positive impact her volunteering has had on her mental health. Ali said:
‘I have been through a lot over the years, losing my dad and battling with my own mental health struggles, but everyone at DAA, and especially in the charity shop I volunteer at in Barnstaple, have been amazing. Shop manager Kevin has always been really supportive. He is wonderful and he is amazing. He was really there for me when I lost my dad and has supported my learning and personal development over the years too’.
Kevin has supported many of his volunteers to gain qualifications and has supported Ali to progress with two NVQ’s in Retail and Customer Service. More recently, assistant manager Diane has been supporting Ali in getting her Level 2 qualification in Maths.
A sense of community
Not only does Ali get incredible support from the shop managers at DAA, but the network of volunteers she works with in this happy shop has provided her with ongoing support and in her words ‘can lift her mood’ on the darkest of days. Ali told us:
The reason I volunteer is to temporarily block out the negativity in my life and the battles with my mental health, I always have a good time, lots of support and I’m able to make great memories. Volunteering gives me a sense of community and family.
Earlier this year, Ali began box collecting for our fundraising team as well as volunteering at our Barnstaple Community Hub with DAA’s retail team. Over the summer, she has encountered some personal challenges that have made the box collecting role difficult and when expressing her concerns she said she received ‘nothing but support from both the fundraising and the volunteering teams at DAA’.
Better together
At times, Ali finds it difficult to leave home without a support system in place, either from a support worker or her fiancé, Clive. As Clive also volunteers for us the retail team have offered further support for Ali by ensuring that the two of them always visit us to volunteer at the same time.
Ali wants people to know that ‘it’s ok to cry and not to be ok’, she believes there is a place for everyone when volunteering, especially at DAA and encourages others to try it, see the difference it can make to their own mental health, and find their own community and family as she has.
NCVO’s Time Well Spent 2023 report stated that over three-quarters of volunteers (77%) reported that volunteering improved their mental health and wellbeing. This benefit was more widespread than physical health benefits (53%).
Volunteering is good for you. So if you would like to find out more about what’s involved then we welcome your enquiry.
