How volunteering at the Trust is helping my career ambitions

We sat down with Romy Mathieson, who has spent the past few weeks volunteering at the National Emergencies Trust, to ask about her experience with us and what she has learned about our work so far.

Why did you want to get involved with the National Emergencies Trust?

I carried out a lot of research on charities that aid survivors of large-scale disasters and came across National Emergencies Trust. I read about the huge appeal that they carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic and was impressed by how much support they were able to provide to those suffering. Also, having read the survivor stories, I was incredibly moved by the work that the Trust has done and wanted to get involved in such a fantastic charity that makes a significant difference to survivors' lives.

What’s your career background so far, and why was volunteering a useful step towards your dream career?

I didn’t have any previous experience working with non-profits, but the team explained the nature of the charity and the work that they do very clearly as soon as I joined.

Whether you want to work within this field or not, volunteering for the Trust will not only provide you with the knowledge of this sector but it grants you life-long skills that will be beneficial in any career. For example, conducting in-depth research, interpersonal skills from communicating and working with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders, organisational skills, time-management skills and meeting deadlines, and it undoubtedly demonstrates a strong work-ethic.

However, if you do want a career relevant to the work the Trust does, it will undoubtedly benefit your ability to work within this field by introducing you to the sector and you are able to learn rapidly about it from colleagues.

What have you been doing in your volunteer role at the Trust, and who have you been working with?

I have been working very closely with Alice and Helen and I have been supporting the operations side of the charity. The roles I have done have varied but some have included: updating the log of previous emergencies (which required a lot of research) and helping to organise a large upcoming Trust event and supporting the team’s fundraising efforts.

I have really enjoyed the variety of the work, as it allows me to gain a wider breath of experience and learn more about various parts of the organisation, which will undoubtedly enhance my knowledge in this field.

What has surprised you about the role so far?

Within such a short period of time I feel that I have learnt a lot about UK large-scale disasters, how the charity responds to emergencies and the sheer number of people involved in supporting survivors and their loved ones post-disaster.

When I joined the Trust, I wanted to learn as much as possible about this area and therefore be as involved as possible. Therefore, something that has surprised me about the role so far is how involved I have been able to be as a volunteer. I have been able to attend key events and complete a large variety of work that I did not think was possible whilst just being a volunteer and not an employee.

What’s your favourite part about volunteering at the Trust?

One of my favourite parts is how close the whole team is and how they make you feel part of the team as soon as you join.

I also enjoy how the work that I do is really varied and the team give you the option to try out different roles within the charity, e.g. working across operations, marketing, etc.

What does the Trust do between appeals, and why is volunteering valuable during these times?

Between appeals the Trust doesn’t stop. From raising funds to support its survivor-led projects to collaborating with other charities and organisations, the Trust works to ensure optimal preparedness so that when the next large-scale emergency occurs, the best possible support is provided.

Some of the work that I have done in between appeals has included carrying out research on previous emergencies dating back to the 1800s up to 2023. This work enables the Trust to understand trends of needs, donations, and how we respond. Longer-term, it will also help the Trust to create an AI algorithm to determine these trends of disasters.

What would you say to others who are interested in volunteering at National Emergencies Trust?

I think it’s an incredible charity to volunteer for and the work that they do is really interesting. Within this charity, as a volunteer you get to be as involved as you would like, without any pressure if you don’t have as much time to volunteer.

It is an incredibly rewarding charity to volunteer for and the work that you do is recognised and valued highly.

If you are interested in volunteering at National Emergencies Trust, find out more on this page.