"I have found it so rewarding"

After 30 years working in the software industry, Rob decided on a change of lifestyle in 2019 and set up as an equine photographer. When COVID-19 hit, this work all but ceased and to use his days constructively, Rob brushed up on his coding skills.  

He was then keen to apply these skills and found the Reach Volunteering platform while searching for ways to volunteer. After taking on a few short-term roles, Rob was attracted to a role giving technical advice to Move Mates, a charity pairing volunteers with isolated people of all ages to encourage them to get out of the house and take part in simple activities like going for a walk.  

Here Rob tells us about his volunteering experiences: 

“When I started looking at opportunities to volunteer, I was keen to find something that was well-defined and time-bound. Having come out of full time employment fairly recently, a long, drawn-out open ended relationship wasn’t for me. 

“I noticed on Reach that there were a lot of organisations looking for help with their websites, especially with WordPress. I took on a few website roles but found that, in some cases, the momentum to get things done wasn’t there as the charities were either too stretched or unsure of what they were trying to do.  

“What attracted me to the advert for Move Mates, was that they were asking for someone to offer advice and technical guidance to help them define and shape their project and meet their needs. I found this interesting because they weren’t trying to go into solution mode at this early stage.   

“The CEO was a really dynamic character and we got on well right from the start. She explained all about the charity and the challenges they were facing. The team had done a really good job up to this point with off-the-shelf software, but they were ambitious to grow and needed a technical solution that was more scalable.  

“I spent some time familiarising myself with the project and what the charity needed and we explored various possible approaches. After discussion with the CEO and the trustees, we decided to build a tailored back-end solution to bolt onto the existing WordPress site. 

Recruiting a team

“Having been so involved in the scoping of the project, I decided that I wanted to do more and offered to take the lead on the design and development of the project. The next step was to advertise for volunteers to help deliver the project on the Reach platform. The CEO had some contacts with good experience in the field who were prepared to act as mentors. This meant that we could recruit less experienced people with a willingness to put in the work and a desire to learn and grow professionally. 

“We were successful in recruiting two excellent people through Reach. One was working in the medical instrument industry but wanted to move into the software sector and one was a recent graduate.  

“We structured the project to create an environment where they felt supported to research, experiment and learn, with the mentors sharing their knowledge and helping them think through any problems to keep them on the right path. It’s a great testament to them, and to how engaged they were, that they needed only light touch guidance.  

“I particularly enjoyed those early months when we were all completely engaged in the project and things were progressing so well. At times it was a bit challenging to manage expectations around delivery deadlines, but I believe one of the main reasons this project has been such a success was having a CEO with drive and trustees who were willing to place their trust in us. Our skills were obviously an important part of the equation, but without this ownership and enthusiasm from those leading the charity, it would have been much more difficult to deliver the project successfully.  

A wonderful journey

“It has been a wonderful journey. I’ve been involved for much longer than I thought I would be as I have stayed on in a support role since the project was completed, but that was because I have found it so rewarding. One of the best things has been that both of the volunteers who worked on the project have now gone on to successful roles in the software industry.  

“For me personally, I’ve been lucky to be doing something that I enjoyed. I loved being able to immerse myself in the project and the opportunity it gave me to be creative.  

“I have also enjoyed learning more about the charity and what they do and, together with my experiences in the other charities, I now have a much greater awareness of just how valuable it can be when someone says ‘I’ll give up a bit of my time and do that’. There are so many people in our society who don’t need a lot, but who benefit so much from a small amount of someone else’s time.  

“Seeing that the charity has been able to make this difference makes the whole thing really rewarding. I’m honoured to have worked with, and for, a great group of people and to have felt that I’m making a difference. I’ve never been one to shout things from the hilltops, but it’s given me a real internal glow of satisfaction. 

Be realistic

“My advice to others thinking of volunteering is to be realistic about the time you can commit to a project as it is much more satisfying if you can give sufficient time to help the project gain momentum and produce quantifiable results. In addition, the depth of the commitment you make will be reciprocated by the charity in terms of appreciation for what you do and also in the value that they’ll be able to derive from that level of commitment. 

“Being able to find people with the right skills and motivations through Reach Volunteering was an important part of the success of this project and we’ll be advertising on the platform again shortly for people to help us with the technical changes that will enable Move Mates to deliver the next phase of its strategy. After four years, it’s time for me to take a step back and move on to other things, but I’m very grateful to Move Mates and to Reach Volunteering for such a positive volunteering experience – it has been immensely rewarding.”