Case Study: Lee’s Journey Towards Independence and Fulfillment
Surrey Choices is committed to empowering disabled and autistic people to reach their full potential. By providing tailored support and guidance, it helps people overcome barriers and achieve meaningful employment opportunities. Supported Volunteering is a key component of this mission, offering a structured pathway to develop essential skills and gain valuable work experience.
The Power of Supported Volunteering
Supported volunteering empowers individuals to:
- Build Confidence and Self-Esteem: By taking on new challenges and achieving goals, participants gain confidence in their abilities
- Develop Essential Skills: Volunteers acquire practical skills such as communication, teamwork and time management, which are invaluable in any workplace
- Make a Positive Impact: By contributing to their community, volunteers experience a sense of purpose and fulfilment with a sense of competence and confidence
- Prepare for Employment: Supported volunteering provides a stepping stone towards paid employment, helping individuals transition into the workforce
A Success Story: Seema’s Journey
Seema, a participant in our Supported Volunteering program, exemplifies the transformative power of this initiative. With the guidance of our trained staff, Seema has successfully embarked on a volunteering journey at a local children’s charity shop.
This placement has been fantastic for Seema. Some of her main support goals were to become more social, build friendships and develop her speech – working in a charity shop has helped her achieve these goals while allowing her to give back to her community.
Seema volunteers at the charity shop every Friday morning and is supported in undertaking tasks such as cleaning, quality checking toys, games and puzzles, tidying clothes rails and using a pricing gun.
She works as part of a small, tight-knit team of volunteers who have helped to improve her social skills. The sense of community at the charity shop has given her a new sense of belonging and confidence.
As part of her development, Seema is also enrolled in the Multiply programme to develop her maths skills. She now applies this to her volunteering, using her improved skills to help with pricing, recognising monetary values and sorting clothes by sizing.
Seema’s journey is a testament to the impact that Supported Volunteering can have on individuals’ lives. By providing a supportive environment and tailored guidance, we empower people to reach their full potential.
Conclusion
Surrey Choices is proud to be at the forefront of supporting individuals with disabilities. Through our Supported Volunteering programme and other initiatives, we strive to create a more inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
By sharing stories like Seema’s, we hope to inspire others and highlight the positive impact of Supported Volunteering.
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