Volunteers support everything we do at Rainbows. From gardening and housekeeping to fundraising and administration. Volunteers at the hospice work as part of the wider team and help to bring love, smiles and laughter to the children, young people and families that we support

Without people like you, Rainbows simply wouldn’t be here.  And there are so many benefits for you too!

Your CV – we will start with the obvious! 
Just imagine your future self, all ready to apply for your graduate role, and it says ‘previous experience necessary’. Now, you may not be applying for a role that directly links to your volunteering, however, the amount of transferable skills you can learn are indefinite. You can demonstrate amazing time keeping skills, willingness to be a team player, supporting your local community. You will also learn dedicated skills that will last a life time. 

Your wellbeing 
Did you know there is scientific research suggesting that volunteering is good for us? Not only does it release all those wonderful feel good hormones (check out point 4) it also can help our anxiety levels, we become less stressed and we can reduce increase our sense of community, which inevitably increases our sense of feeling accepted. Volunteering can also help you build up your self-esteem and we will help you feel more confident and happier throughout your volunteering. 

Socialise 
Socialising is such a big part of university, college and school, so why not broaden your net and socialise with people who you would never have gotten to know otherwise? As we have so many volunteering roles, we attract people from all walks of life, so you are bound to meet people who you will become friends with. We also try and make each shift as social as we can, so why not get involved and see who you can meet. 

Chemical balance
Practicing altruism can increase your longevity! When you engage your community through volunteering, increased levels of the “compassion hormone,” scientifically known as oxytocin, are released. The compassion hormone is one of many chemicals that are released in the brain when one contributes to the community. These “feel-good” chemicals like dopamine and even serotonin help soothe you and elevate your mood.

Support your community
What better way to really feel at home, than to get involved with your local community? 2020, we know it was tough for students, you probably didn’t get the experiences you were looking for. However, volunteering for Rainbows is a Covid safe way to immerse yourself in your local community and get to know people who live and work there. 

It is often locals who can point out the best places to get a coffee, or which pubs do the best quizzes so why not build your connections and always be the first in the know? 

The charity needs you
This one is pretty simple, volunteers support everything we do at Rainbows. From gardening and housekeeping to fundraising and administration, and many more roles in between. Volunteers at the hospice work as part of the wider team and help to bring love, smiles and laughter to the children, young people and families that we support.
Without people like you, Rainbows simply wouldn’t be here. 

By volunteering with Rainbows, you’ll become part of our amazing team. We have nearly 400 people who give their time, skills and experience to help our charity. There are so many ways you can help, so if you have an hour to spare or a whole day, we will have an opportunity to suit you. Whether you can support us every week or once a year at events we have something to suit you, so regardless of how much time you have to commit it is worth getting in touch to discuss all the opportunities available. 

Develop your skills 
Now we’ve touched upon this slightly with point number one! However, we are open to discussing how your skills can help us?! Maybe you are doing a HR degree? Or a course on childcare or nursing? Maybe you are studying to become an accountant or you want to be a fundraiser or project manager. If you have a specific skill set you would like to practice and apply in real life situations then please contact us to discuss how you can help. 

Added bonus, like point number one, you can add Rainbows Hospice to your CV as a reference to demonstrate your skills. 

Staff wellbeing 
We have mentioned how much we rely on our volunteers, this is to also support our staff. We all work really hard, and you can make a difference by donating your time and helping us cross stuff off our to-do lists. The more we can do the greater the impact we can have on children, young people and their families across the East Midlands.  

Networking 
We also have working at Rainbows, some leaders in their field. From nursing, family support, fundraising to HR we have staff teams who are here to help you. You could ask specific questions which would help you with your studies, you could learn new skills and tools in real life examples. So many of our staff have developed their careers and could be the person to help you make the connections you need. 

Develop your schedule
Everything in life is around balance. So, learning how to prioritise your workload and make time to volunteer is a great example of your time keeping skills. Now, we know there will be days or weeks where the demands of being a student are greater than other, however, volunteering with Rainbows means you can flexible with your time keeping and we will support you to manage your time effectively. 

Give time to the charity instead of giving money 
We all know how important financial donations are to charity, however, this may not be available or practical to everyone. Therefore, to get the same feel good factor and know that you have made a positive impact on the world, you should give some of your time. 

You will be celebrated
Volunteers don’t volunteer to be thanked, however, it is important to us that you understand how much our volunteers mean to us and it does feel good to be acknowledged. So, we regularly like to make a fuss of our volunteers and celebrate all of your achievements. 

You could always volunteer as a group
Are you a little nervous about volunteering on your own? …. Well why not organise a group of fellow students to organise a fun and exciting way you could support Rainbows. Whether you want to support us by organising your own event or as a volunteer at one of our events we will make sure you have a wonderful time! Our fundraising team will be with you every step of the way. 

Get fitter 
Fancy a new and different way to get fit in 2021? Speak to any of our Retail Team and they will tell you volunteering in a charity shop can equal any workout, you will be lifting, sorting, walking, dancing and jumping for joy with every new donation brought in! 

What better way is there to work out your body, mind and spirit! 

Use your hobbies for good – fashion, photography!
We all have something we enjoy doing whether this is baking, photography, reading about the latest fashion trends or gardening. We have such a diverse range of volunteering opportunities we are confident we will have something to suit your needs. So, whether you fancy holding a bake stall at our Open Day, or supporting us as an event photographer throughout the year or maybe you want to learn more skills in how to grow the perfect flower bed. Get in touch and see how your hobbies could help Rainbows!   

Be part of something bigger
After a year of lockdowns and isolation, volunteering will be a positive way to be part of something bigger. Rainbows supports families across the whole of the East Midlands and by volunteering, you may never meet these families, yet because of you we were able to support them during what may be the most difficult time in their lives.

Support the NHS 
Rainbows is proud to support the NHS and by supporting us you will be giving your support in a practical way to the NHS too. 

Make volunteering a habit and a way of life
By starting to volunteer now, you will build a sense of community and you will feel first hand all the amazing benefits that come with volunteering. So, by creating a habit of volunteering now, you will have all the feel-good factors listed above throughout your life. 

Kindness is contagious
If someone does something kind for you, you feel better and are more likely to help out someone else. So that person’s kindness has been contagious in that it has impacted you. Similarly, each time you do something kind for anyone, whether it’s a family member, friend or a stranger, your kindness is also contagious. Please know that it doesn’t stop with that person.
As you go about the rest of your day, repercussions of your kind behaviour continue to ripple on. We all know of the random act of kindness phenonium and we are just here to help you spread the kindness! 

Look back on your time at university with pride 
We mostly look back on our student days with affection, maybe we remember the odd cringy moment and most definitely the fun and experience we have as a student, shapes who we become. So why not acknowledge this now and make time to do something rewarding, something you will look back on for many years to come and be proud that you achieved something alongside your studying.  

Have fun! 
It’s the easiest to explain, but sometimes the most overlooked. Volunteering should be fun. There will be days it may be harder, more challenging or something may affect you more on an emotional level, that’s ok. As a children’s hospice we are a happy place with sad times and we will support you every step of the way. Yet, we want your overall experience to be one you can have fun with. 

Interested in becoming a Rainbows volunteer? Get in touch today!