Jean has been a Shelter Scotland volunteer for 6 years. This is a a varied and busy role, where she helps to provide a befriending service in the Aberdeen Hub as well as outreach at the Dundee Hub.
Having previously worked in the NHS and the university sector, Jean likes feeling part of a team and has successfully completed over 1000 hours of volunteering for Shelter Scotland. She recently helped with a project with Dundee City Council for 1 year, focusing on people with very high rent arrears, arranging appointments for them to speak with Shelter Scotland housing advisers and get financial advice. She really enjoyed being part of a team and helping people in need.
I love it. They're a great team in Dundee. They have always been very supportive.
Jean volunteers for around 6 hours a week. Outside of volunteering, she loves to read and socialise, as well as walking and keeping up with politics, although she gets frustrated sometimes by politicians. She volunteered with other charities before joining Shelter Scotland and recommends it as a way of helping yourself and your local community.
Volunteering makes you feel good. It makes you look at your life, I’m very lucky. Some of our clients haven’t had any breaks at all. They seem to be fighting for everything.
When asked if she would recommend becoming a volunteer with Shelter Scotland, Jean said:
Do it. It will help your mental health and your confidence. You’ll learn new things. Each individual volunteer is giving a little back and together that is a lot!