To mark Volunteers’ Week some of our amazing volunteers tell their stories about volunteering for London Friend. Here’s Marco's story.
I am a volunteer counsellor at London Friend and am very proud to be part of it. I started only one year ago to pursue the official requirements for accreditation with various psychotherapy bodies and hope to be able to reach out to those in our Gender Sexual Diversities community who are in need.
Not only have I found a welcoming atmosphere and a non-judgemental attitude, paramount to all members from volunteers to staff, but I have also found a new sense of being free and useful at the same time. It is increasingly changing my life as I constantly receive and give active listening, empathy and aid in reaching my objectives.
This in fact influences not only my working life but also my personal life as within the group of volunteers I have a variety of living models and am enabled to choose the life I want, “normalising” my behaviour and giving me a sense of belonging. Ultimately volunteering at London Friend makes me feel alive and active.
Any service user who presents to London Friend is as welcome as the people who come to volunteer. There is a huge amount of work to be done in the Gender Sexual Diversity community and either donating some hours or giving a helping hand with some activities will allow more people in our community to live freely and actively.
Marco
To find out more about volunteering with London Friend see here. To support our work with a one-off or regular donation see here.
