Why I Volunteer in Aberdeen: Grampian Regional Equality Council (GREC)

Through their counselling services, GREC provides a safe space where people can be heard, understood and supported as they navigate life in a new country.

Alongside staff, interpreters and social workers, volunteer counsellors are at the heart of helping clients overcome challenges whilst gaining valuable insight into different cultures, experiences and communities.

Speaking with volunteer counsellor David, he shares what volunteering at GREC has meant to him and why he would encourage others to get involved.

David joined GREC as a volunteer back in 2017 after needing practical experience for a counselling course he was undertaking. Although he knew very little about the organisation at first, he quickly realised he had joined a warm, supportive team of highly professional and committed people.

As part of his counselling volunteering, David works closely with interpreters, social workers and other staff, giving him a much greater understanding of the communities that GREC supports.

“As a volunteer counsellor I support an incredible variety of people. It kind of broadened me out hugely.”

One of the biggest rewards for David has been meeting people from different backgrounds and gaining insight into experiences he would have never encountered otherwise.

“In the office you meet the professionals, you're working alongside the social workers, the interpreters and get insights into all those different worlds. But I also learn about the client group that come from everywhere.”

David says volunteering has encouraged him to see the world differently, believing he gains just as much through listening to people's stories and learning from them.

Encouraging others to volunteer, he says: “People should seize any opportunities they can to volunteer. It's astonishing the resources you discover all around you that you maybe walk past every day and don't see.

“You can become a part of that, contribute and learn, and discover how to have a fuller experience of life and going about the world.”

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Get Involved

GREC welcomes volunteer counsellors and trainee counsellors who are passionate about supporting people from Aberdeen's diverse communities. Working with clients from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, volunteer counsellors can build meaningful therapeutic relationships while developing their own skills, confidence and understanding.

Volunteers receive training and ongoing support, including workshops on working alongside interpreters in the counselling process, unconscious bias and intersectionality. GREC also recognises the importance of balancing volunteering with work, family and other commitments, offering flexibility to help volunteers contribute in a way that works for them.

If counselling is not your profession, there are still plenty of ways to get involved. GREC offers a variety of volunteering opportunities across its services and community projects, allowing people to use their skills, gain valuable experience and make a positive difference to communities across Aberdeen. Find out more on GREC’s website at grec.co.uk