It’s national Volunteers’ Week and we’re celebrating by saying thank you to all the amazing volunteers in Islington. Each day we will be sharing the inspirational story of a volunteer.   

We’ll be looking at the incredible work that volunteers have been doing over the last 12 months and more recently in response to the Covid-19 crisis. 

Join us by sharing your inspirational stories of people volunteering in Islington #VolunteersWeek #weareIslington. 

Thank you to everyone who volunteers in Islington!

Wrapping up volunteer week, Charity shares her volunteering story.

Charity has been volunteering with Islington charity Positively UK since 2007. Positively UK supports people living with HIV through peer lead support and works in partnership with the NHS. Charity supports people through all stages of diagnosis, offering peer support. She also works as a workshop facilitator and creative lead for Catwalk4Power, a peer support, arts empowerment and wellbeing project, amplifying the voice of women with HIV, funded by Public Health England Innovation Fund. Take a look at the toolkit she co-created on how to develop a Catwalk4Power event here.

Charity volunteered for Positively UK after being diagnosed with HIV in 2003. She felt isolated and was referred to the charity for help. After a few months the charity suggested she apply to be a volunteer case worker. At the time she wasn’t able to work due to immigration issues and this was affecting her self-confidence. Being able to volunteer and help people gave her a purpose and in 2019 she won Voluntary Action Islington’s Volunteer of the Year Award!

Charity says: ‘Being welcomed with open arms by people around me, sharing my thoughts and experiences with others and being able to connect with and learn from people I work with as a volunteer has made volunteering one of the best decisions I have ever made!!’

Charity has met people from all walks of life through her volunteering and learnt new skills. She says it has made her happier, healthier and more in control of her life.