Julia's volunteering story
Julia shares her experience of running a Lymphoma Action Support Group, after being inspired at a Live your Life workshop.
There are positive impacts that come as a result of helping other people. When I first attended a Live your Life workshop it stood out to me that this was what I wanted to do, I wanted to give back to a cause that I believed in and one that I had found support from when I had needed it most. Seeing the difference that those few hours made to the lives of the people in that room was very uplifting at a time when I myself was considering my next chemotherapy treatment and not knowing what my future held.
One of the Live your Life workshop topics covered wellbeing and this really resonated with me. I decided then that I was going to live my life by the five ways of wellbeing and I can see no better way then volunteering to achieve these.
Simply knowing that my time as a volunteer is helping others allows me to lead a more fulfilled life.
The gratitude and warm thanks I received from everyone attending the support group at the end of my first meeting was really good. Being a Support Group Organiser I find my own stress levels start to decrease and I gain a much better perspective on my own situation when I meet people that have been living with blood cancer for 18+ years. It helps me stop thinking about my own problems and focus on someone other than me.
If like Julia you'd like to get involved as a Support Group Organiser or helping us in your local community, register your interest in volunteering today.