{"id":3957,"date":"2019-10-07T10:29:35","date_gmt":"2019-10-07T09:29:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/teamkinetic.co.uk\/blog\/?p=3957"},"modified":"2019-10-07T10:29:41","modified_gmt":"2019-10-07T09:29:41","slug":"volunteering-worth-more-than-we-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teamkinetic.co.uk\/blog\/2019\/10\/volunteering-worth-more-than-we-think\/","title":{"rendered":"Is volunteering worth more than we think?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are many alarming issues highlighted in today’s society. Unemployment, lack of funding in the NHS, the destruction of our environment, and of course Brexit – just to name a few! However, not all stories are so negative. There are thousands of volunteering stories that are challenging some of these issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unemployment <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Currently, 3.7% of the UK are not in work – that’s around 2.5 million people! Now, some of you may be thinking “what’s that got to do with volunteering?”. Many studies & statistics show that volunteering can help boost employment<\/a> for individuals. Sports clubs, in particular, have done a lot to boost employment opportunities through volunteering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newcastle United FC transformed the life of one of their staff who came to England from Syria as a refugee.<\/a> Hikmat didn’t know much English or have many qualifications, but his attitude and desire to learn were unmatched. Despite his lack of experience, Newcastle took on Hikmat in a volunteering role, giving him a chance to prove himself. Since starting in 2013, he has been directly involved in many Premier League projects including helping out at children’s hospitals over the busy Christmas period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helping the elderly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"volunteering,<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Numerous elderly people\nin the United Kingdom have no living children or close relatives to help them\nin their daily care. Many relocate to areas which are far from their hometown,\nmaking it nearly impossible to provide the assistance required. As a result,\nmany seniors spend much of their time living in isolation and loneliness. They\noften rely on the services of volunteers to provide services and opportunities\nfor socialisation and entertainment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The work of volunteers can help to drastically improve how easy it is to complete everyday tasks. Engaging in volunteering activity has also been found to significantly improve mental health<\/a> which is an ever-growing problem worldwide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can volunteering even reduce crime rates?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The power of volunteering is so great that it can even reduce crime rates! Research shows that the more a person volunteers, the less likely they are to commit a crime. A specific societal experiment was constructed by Add Health in order to test this hypothesis<\/a>, here’s a summary of what they found:<\/p>\n\n\n\n