Volunteering: Razaq's story

Volunteering with CRI is a great way to test the water if you’re thinking about a career in the health and social care sector. I wasn’t 100% sure that I wanted to get into substance misuse services until I’d volunteered for a bit and thought ‘yep, this is it’.

I’ve volunteered for a few different organisations and nothing compared to the experience at CRI. The training is second to none; it’s really comprehensive and structured so you get a thorough understanding of the different approaches to recovery and never feel out of your depth.

You also get the opportunity to try out lots of different skills; so I was involved in everything from drug testing clients and conducting prison visits to welcoming people to the service and shadowing case managers. No two days are the same here – I dare a volunteer to get bored!

I have a brilliant rapport with my team. I was actually the first volunteer in our service and they made me feel so welcome and valued – I was as much a member of the team as my full time colleagues and felt completely supported from day one.

I volunteered with CRI for 18 months before a sessional post became available. The knowledge and skills I’d built up whilst volunteering meant I was in a fantastic position going into the interview, and because I’d already got experience doing the job I knew I was ready.

I would recommend volunteering with CRI to anyone; it’s a great way to see if you’re suited to the work and they will give you all the training and support you need. CRI really are the best for volunteering – and I promise I’m not just saying that because I work for them!

Razaq Shakir is a recovery worker for Cardiff IOIS