Dan Sharkey, a Branch Manager at Lloyds Banking Group, shares how volunteering his professional skills with charity Arty Folks has been a positive experience that has benefitted him both personally and professionally.
04 June 2024
I signed up to be a charity digital mentor in 2018 through Lloyds Bank Foundation’s skills based volunteering programme. I was paired with Arty Folks, a small charity based in Coventry that supports adults who are struggling with mental health through peer support and art groups.
Lorella, CEO of Arty Folks and my mentee, wanted support with the charity’s digital strategy and using social media. My support included advising Lorella on the different types of social media platforms, the benefits of each, how the charity could use them effectively and how this would positively benefit the charity.
Lorella felt that she didn’t have the time to ‘run’ social media and was posting at the end of her working day. I quickly changed this perception by explaining how creating content as part of her working day would suit the charity’s goals. I demonstrated how Lorella could take some images or videos from artwork produced in peer support groups and quickly share them on Instagram in the moment.
One of my highlights of volunteering with Arty Folks was during the pandemic in 2020. When it was announced that we must all stay at home, this included much of the charity sector. How would an organisation built on connection and that served people face to face survive when forced to do so remotely? We had the idea of creating virtual sessions, and people that the charity were supporting received art packs on their doorsteps and attended sessions on Zoom. Being able to digitally support Lorella so the charity could evolve during this difficult time filled me with a huge sense of pride and fulfilment.
My volunteering journey with the charity has spanned more than six years, and in 2023 I was appointed to the board of trustees. I am now responsible for overseeing the financial strategy and delivery for Arty Folks.
Dan and Lorella at Arty Folks
I have developed many professional skills through volunteering, including communicating to wide and varied audiences, stakeholder engagement, resilience, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and compassion.
- Dan Sharkey, volunteer mentor and trustee at Arty Folks
I have a huge passion for digital inclusion and technology being used for the greater good. Volunteering with Arty Folks has enabled me to fulfil this passion in ways that would not be possible in my day-to-day role.
I have developed many professional skills through volunteering, including communicating to wide and varied audiences, stakeholder engagement, resilience, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and compassion. I have also gained a lot of knowledge about how charities operate and the wider charity sector, including how to structure a charity financially, knowledge of fundraising applications, use of accounting software and producing content for annual reports.
The experience of skills-based volunteering has improved my confidence and character. I have taken this into my day role which has been a huge benefit to my employer and colleagues, as well as my own career.
I would recommend skills based volunteering to anyone who has a passion to help others with their professional knowledge and skills. You don’t need to have any working knowledge of the organisation or sector you are volunteering for - I’m not artistic in any way, but I have transferable skills that Arty Folks can benefit from, and I’ve learned so much along the way too.
As a volunteer you get a unique opportunity to develop your existing skills and gain new ones. This is invaluable for your career development and provides excellent examples to showcase active learning. Ultimately, volunteering for a cause you a passionate about can bring you a real sense of fulfilment and pride as you support local communities. I’m proud to work for an employer that supports skills-based volunteering and I am thankful for my ongoing relationship with Arty Folks.
At Lloyds Bank Foundation, we have just launched a report sharing our learning from a decade of delivering skilled volunteering programmes so that other organisations can take up skills based volunteering, be it volunteers, employers or charities. Read the report here.
Find out more about the development support we offer charities with skills based volunteering.
