The British Heart Foundation

Since my second year passed through the COVID pandemic, I did not join and volunteer until my final year. However, I decided to join the British heart foundation since I realised that this is the charity I wanted to support.Since it was my final year at Warwick, I want to join volunteering, which can help me keep in regular contact with others. Further support me against stress and depression during the COVID period and uni work. Then I joined the British heart foundation as my leading volunteer community during the third year.

I saw the volunteer needed information from the BHF charity shop in Coventry. British heart foundation raises money for heart and circulatory diseases to research cures and treatments. The shop provides the opportunities to experience many skills, such as managing the products, cleaning and ironing the clothes for donation and helping the customers if needed. At the charity shop, we will have training for understanding how the charity works and its purpose.

Through the experiences, I have gained a lot of different new skills, such as ironing clothes by using a machine since I have never really ironed clothes as an expert. They have taught me how to iron the clothes faster, do it better, and not damage the clothes as they are for selling.

Working in the shop helped me through problem-solving, communication and working with others that employers value. For instance, I once did not know how to manage different products from different areas. Other volunteers taught me how and told me that I could manage with the size, colours or dates. They say the products need to be put in order, such as price, size, new and old, so it is more convenient for customers to find the products they want. This skill makes me re-manage my bookshelves like how she has taught me, which is very helpful for me to clean my room, and the result is satisfactory.

Moreover, volunteering in the shop provides another chance for me to meet new people who also like to volunteer. Volunteering in different communities allows me to gain the skills, confidence and experience that I need to build my CV and further build my employability. Through volunteering, you can take on challenges such as challenging yourself to try something different, achieve personal goals and maybe discover hidden talents. Warwick Volunteer always provides many different kinds of volunteer events for you to join. Volunteering might provide you with an experience that probably changes your mindset and also help you develop your well-being.