Can Working and Volunteering Be Done at the Same Time?

Due to Covid-19 many of us have either been on lockdown or working from home, for those in our communities who have been shielding or need support these have been challenging times. 

When the NHS appeal for volunteers was first publicised Shaun Somers, our National Motor Division Manager, immediately applied to be an NHS responder. 

We spoke to Shaun and asked him why he volunteered and what this had involved. 

Shaun said he felt that it would be good to give something back and show his appreciation of the NHS staff, by playing a small part in supporting and helping the vulnerable in his community. After being accepted he was assigned prescription delivery and transportation duties. 

Shaun has been on approx. 21 calls and done approx. 882 hours, from picking up prescriptions to taking patients to the hospital. Shaun has found this experience very rewarding; his first experience was helping an elderly couple who hadn’t left their house for eight weeks and had been having problems receiving their medication. 

We asked if he found balancing work and volunteering difficult, Shaun said spoke to his Manager prior to applying and had set times outside his working hours, early morning (6:30-8:00am), lunch time (12-1pm) and after work in the evening (5:30-10.30pm) He also mentioned that he could reject requests, if his workload did now allow, so did not have any problems fitting it around his Johnsons Workwear role. 

Shaun believes becoming a volunteer has also given him a boost, especially at a time when people are experiencing mental health issues. It has also made him realise that volunteering and his job role have aspects in common, in both roles he is making a difference to others, although in different ways. With volunteering he is helping and supporting people and with his Johnsons Workwear role he makes a difference to customers businesses, as well as the sales and service team’s. 

Shaun is determined to see this through till the end, he has vowed that he will try and do more in the future and would like to encourage others to join and give help where they can. He believes due to the Covid-19 pandemic more people are getting involved, he hopes this continues in the future and with a little help we can all do our part to change things for the better. 

If you would like to get to know Shaun a bit more please click here.