Volunteering: Andy’s Journey of Growth and Creativity
When Andy first began volunteering, they were at a turning point. Having been out of work for some time, they were looking for something that could bring a sense of structure and help them move forward.
Andy heard about volunteering through their advisor at Seetec and decided to explore the opportunity. What stood out to them was the chance to give something back while also developing new skills, all while continuing their journey back to employment. More than a year and a half on, Andy has now been volunteering with us at CVS for over 18 months, a commitment that reflects both their dedication and the value volunteering has brought.
Making an Impact Behind the Scenes
Andy began their volunteering journey with CVS by supporting other volunteers through research and data entry. Their role involved maintaining a large collection of spreadsheets and assisting with placement research across several volunteering projects, tasks that played an important part in helping opportunities run smoothly.
As Andy’s confidence and skills grew, so did their role. More recently, they have been helping the team with video editing for our social media platforms, as well as helping to collect monthly social media analytics. This progression reflects not only Andy’s growing skillset, but also their willingness to learn, adapt, and take on new challenges, making them a valued part of the CVS volunteer team.
"Andy has been an amazing volunteer with the Comms team at CVS. One of Andy's most remarkable skills is their flexibility with tasks. Andy has an analytical mind, helping us with our monthly analytics. Additionally, Andy can be really creative and has helped us edit our short and long-form videos. Andy's skills and confidence have grown greatly through their volunteering experience. Thank you Andy, for all your hard work. We greatly appreciate everything you help us achieve." — CVS Cheshire East
Growing Confidence Through Creativity
One of Andy’s standout moments came early on in their video editing work. After learning how to use a new video-editing package, Clideo, they were particularly proud of the captions they created for CVS training videos.
What Andy enjoys most about volunteering is the opportunity to be creative. Through video editing, they’ve been able to explore new ways of expressing ideas, telling stories, and contributing to CVS’s work in a way that feels rewarding.
Learning and Growing Through Volunteering
Before volunteering, Andy had never tried video editing. Through their time at CVS, they have gained a wide range of new skills, from editing and adding captions to working with sound and effects. Each project has been a chance to explore new tools, techniques, and ways of creating engaging content.
Volunteering has given Andy the chance to further explore their creativity in new ways. Beyond technical skills, volunteering has also helped them build confidence, adaptability, and problem-solving abilities.
Personal Impact
For Andy, volunteering has offered more than just skill development — it has had a real impact on their wellbeing. Being involved with volunteering has helped them improve their mental health, provided structure, and given them a boost in confidence.
Advice to New Volunteers
"If you’re already thinking about it, then it’s probably something that is going to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or for help if you’re not sure where to get started.” — Andy
Join the Journey
Andy’s story shows the real impact volunteering can have — not just on the community, but on the volunteer too. Whether it’s gaining new skills, boosting confidence, or finding a new purpose, there’s something in volunteering for everyone.
If you’re inspired by Andy’s journey, explore our free volunteering portal and find an opportunity that could be your next step into a new experience.
