When Lisa Heath retired due to health issues, she found herself searching for a new sense of purpose. Although she was no longer able to work, she still wanted to contribute to her community and make a positive difference where she could.
“I wanted to contribute to making the world a better place in any small way I could,”
Lisa first began volunteering seven years ago with The Stubbington Ark, initially as a cat socialiser before taking on additional roles including cat fostering, dog walking and helping with donations. While she loved the work, much of it was carried out independently, and over time she realised she wanted more opportunities to connect with people as well.
Like many people returning to volunteering after time away from employment, Lisa faced barriers when applying directly to organisations. Long application forms, requests for recent work references, and a lack of responses made it difficult at times to find the right opportunity.
Through Volunteer First, however, Lisa was able to search a wide variety of roles in one place and find opportunities that matched both her interests and the skills she had developed during retirement.
During her time away from work, Lisa had spent countless hours learning creative skills including drawing, sewing, knitting, embroidery, needle felting and card design. When she discovered the Crafting Assistant role with Crafty Makery in Fareham through Volunteer First, it immediately stood out to her.
“It seemed like a great opportunity to get involved in a community scheme where I could use the skills I had developed to help others create,”
Lisa found the Volunteer First website straightforward and accessible to use.
“I liked the fact that there was one place to search and keep track of any applications, and applying without having to fill in lots of details was a bonus.”
After quickly arranging an interview, Lisa started volunteering the following week and soon became part of a welcoming and supportive team.
“The staff were very supportive and friendly. Everyone was a volunteer and all had their own stories and backgrounds. It was a very inclusive space and it was a fun and rewarding place to be.”
For Lisa, volunteering became about far more than simply filling spare time. It allowed her to reconnect with people, share her creativity, and help provide a safe and welcoming environment for others in the community.
“We had customers from all walks of life and I hoped that for some, just providing a safe space where they could relax and create would ultimately be therapeutic and help them in other areas of their life,”
Her story reflected this year’s Volunteers’ Week theme. Through volunteering, Lisa not only supported others through creativity and community connection, but also rediscovered confidence, belonging and purpose herself.
As a volunteer brokerage service, Volunteer First helps people find opportunities that suit their interests, experiences and personal circumstances — helping remove barriers and making it easier for people to get involved in their communities.
Lisa encouraged anyone considering volunteering to take that first step, even if it was only for a small amount of time each week.
“I would recommend volunteering to everyone. Helping others or doing something that you are interested in is extremely rewarding. I would suggest to anyone who is interested in volunteering to find something they think they would enjoy and start small. Offering even a few hours a week can be life changing.”
Everyone at Volunteer First would like to thank Lisa for sharing her story and for the incredible contribution she made through volunteering in her local community.