Volunteering Provides A Sense Of Purpose

Recent data found volunteering to be an extremely common activity among people over 50. A survey found that 42 percent volunteer either for a charity or a local group, with women being the most likely to volunteer.

Additionally, there is no age limit to volunteering your time. The data revealed people aged 70 to 79 are more likely to volunteer than any other age group. They are well-known for being generous with money but they are also generous with their time.

"Retirement is an opportunity for you to use

and develop your skills and talents."

The core reasons given for volunteering were: to help others (62 percent), as a way of keeping socially active (17 percent), and because they think it is fun.

“Volunteering can be a great way to meet new people and share your skills, as well as learn new ones."

Finola McGrath volunteers “Because I really enjoy becoming a very small part of the lives of people from different cultures and backgrounds. I like communicating with people on equal terms and sharing, sometimes very different, experiences with them. Also, it gives me a very strong sense of purpose.”

Finola adds, "You will undoubtedly take more from the experience than you can give, so you should be humble about your volunteering."