Janineby Eva Peros
A free training course aimed at improving the emotional well-being of Leeds’ dedicated volunteer workforce is being rolled out over the coming months.
According to Leeds-based charity, Humans Being, many volunteers are at risk of burnout and exhaustion. They say that issues such as the cost of living crisis and the impact of Covid have meant that many volunteers are likely to be facing financial stresses, feelings of isolation, loneliness and mental ill-health, often leaving them stretched in their capacity to support others who may be facing similar issues.
As part of their ‘Unfolding’ training course, Humans Being is hoping that volunteers can go from exhausted to energised in just six weeks. Through its weekly, informal sessions, participants will explore self-esteem and confidence-boosting techniques, self-care and ways of facilitating positive outcomes for those they support.
Community-led Humans Being is made up of experienced staff, freelance trainers and directors who have decades of experience in the voluntary, health, and social care sectors, and all of whom have had their own experiences of mental ill-health. Through its not-for-profit workshops and courses, it enables marginalised, vulnerable and underserved people, including volunteers and the staff who support them, to improve their mental wellbeing.
From suicide prevention and resilience training for Leeds’ male Food Bank volunteers, to its ‘Women supporting Women’ course, Humans Being has worked with numerous organisations, including large healthcare providers, the NHS, Leeds City Council and informal community groups. Organisers say that the long-lasting friendships made on their courses, has also proved instrumental in helping to strengthen communities, as well as tackle feelings of loneliness, isolation and low self-esteem amongst volunteers.
The course is open to volunteers who:
- have regular contact with vulnerable people through their role
- volunteer in Armley, Inner South, York Road, HATCH and Seacroft Local Care Partnership areas
- want to feel calmer and more confident in their volunteering
- enjoy sharing what they learn with others
- want to learn how to make conversations easier.
The course will run until December 2024 and can be in-person or online.
If you work for an organisation that oversees a volunteer workforce and would like to find out more about the course, please visit the Humans Being ‘Unfolding’ page and fill out their online form
