“I thought you’d retired…”

By Susie Braithwaite, Trustee

When I was talking recently about the amazing work of York Women’s Counselling and the small part that I now play in delivering their vision for supporting women in the city, someone said to me “I thought you’d retired?”

Yes, I have, from my 9 to 5.  But for me, and thousands of volunteers who would agree, you never retire from caring and from wanting to make a difference. Volunteering gives me so much and, in fact, the benefits probably outweigh my small contribution. 

Volunteering as a Trustee with YWCS gives me purpose, an outlet for creativity and sometimes a challenge to be solved. It’s given me a sense of community, some wonderful colleagues and shared goals. It is a huge source of satisfaction that by working together it’s been possible to make a significant impact in the lives of women in York. And then there’s a ripple effect. No-one stands alone. All the women that we support have families who will be stronger and happier when their mum, daughter, sister or friend has found the professional help that she needs to turn her life around.

 But it’s been getting to know our team of counsellors, who take volunteering to the next level and give so much more, that has been truly inspirational. Without them York Women’s Counselling would simply not exist. Through their respectful and non-judgmental approach, with confidentiality at its core, they listen and support clients patiently and with compassion to come to their own decisions and conclusions. This work can be intense and demanding and I never cease to be impressed by the resilience and humility of our wonderful team and their genuine interest in others. 

Never has a focus on mental health been more important, and especially now as women have been disproportionately affected through the pandemic.  So, in this Volunteers Week, I’d like to say a big thank you to our team of volunteer counsellors and pledge my volunteering to supporting what they do and helping them to reach more women in need.

 You can find out more about our community here. If you’d like to get involved then we’d love to hear from you - contact us today.