This month, from 3 to 9 June, it was Volunteers’ Week, a cause dedicated to thanking volunteers across Great Britain for their contributions to charities and other organisations that depend on people donating their time.

There are hundreds of causes across the UK that depend on the generosity of volunteers to provide valuable services and support to people in need. Even if you aren’t aware of them, many of these will operate in your local area, all run by passionate volunteers.

These causes come in many different shapes and sizes, and might include:

 

  • Charities, whether that’s the organisations themselves or shopfronts that generate funds
  • Sports clubs, especially for children and young people
  • Social support services, offering support to those who need it, such as older people or those in vulnerable circumstances
  • Community groups, such as those that organise events or perhaps plant flowers and look after the environment in your local area.

 

With so many options, you may be considering getting involved with volunteering once you retire.

You may have always wanted to volunteer during your working life but could never find the time. Or, it may not be something you’d ever considered until you stopped working and found yourself missing the drive that comes with building a career.

Whatever your reason, volunteering in retirement can offer you various fantastic benefits. Read on to discover five of them.

1. Create a new routine in retirement

While having unlimited free time to explore whatever goals you have for later life is liberating, it can also be difficult as you lose your routine. As they say, work defines your free time, and so stopping work can make every day feel the same.

Fortunately, a regular volunteering slot can help provide you with a new routine. Whether you have fixed hours or simply put your hand up for a rota whenever you can, being on the roster for a local cause can offer the same stability and routine that work offers.

So, not only do you get the reward of contributing to a worthwhile project, but you also have something to base your time around.

2. Maintain a sense of purpose

Much like missing the routine that work provides, purpose is another aspect that you might miss when you retire.

For many people, especially those who have run their own businesses, work is a central part of their identity. As a result, it’s totally understandable why it would be a shock to the system to stop work when you’ve been getting up every day for 40 years or more and using your skills to build a business.

This is why volunteering can be so useful, offering a common goal to work towards with other people. In doing so, you can find that same sense of purpose you used to relish when you were working.

3. Use your skills to help others, and learn some new ones

Throughout a lifetime of work, you’ll have developed a range of skills that could be invaluable to causes in your local area. So, offering these up to charities, schemes, or programmes could make a huge difference to them.

This might be knowledge specific to a cause that helps it achieve its goals. For example, if you owned a landscaping and gardening business, you might be well-positioned to support efforts to create or maintain green spaces in your area.

Or, it could be management skills that you honed as a business owner. In this case, a cause could benefit from your leadership and strategic thinking abilities.

Volunteering also offers an opportunity to learn some new talents that you might have thought you’d never get the chance to explore. This can help to keep your brain active – another aspect that can be crucial for business owners who love improving their skill sets.

4. Stay social and make new friends

One of the major benefits of going to work every day is regularly socialising with many people, and suddenly losing this contact in retirement can be a real wrench.

Volunteering can provide a way to meet like-minded people and make new friends, offering those same social benefits as the workplace.

Even if you’re more introverted, volunteering can be a great way to do this as you have the cause itself and the work you’re doing to provide an icebreaker.

This can help to ensure you stay social in later life, which is highly important for your health. Indeed, according to the British Medical Association, loneliness is associated with a range of poor health outcomes, both physical and mental.

So, helping others could provide tangible benefits for your wellbeing.

5. Look after your mental health

Interestingly, volunteering doesn’t just provide a boost to your mental health because you’re socialising, making friends, and avoiding loneliness. In fact, research seems to suggest that the act of helping people is generally good for your mental wellbeing.

According to Action Mental Health, a range of studies have shown that volunteering can combat stress, depression, and anxiety.

As a result, even offering a small amount of your time to local causes could pay immense dividends in helping you maintain good mental health, allowing you to enjoy your retirement to the fullest.

Get in touch

Want to work with a financial professional who can help you plan for your dream retirement? Get in touch with us at Cordiner Wealth today.

Email hello@cordinerwealth.co.uk or call 0113 262 1242 for more information.

Please note

This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.