Accessible Text Alternative for Diagram Wellbeing Inputs and Outcomes for Volunteers in Heritage at Risk Projects.

Wellbeing Outcomes Across 6 Themes

Purpose

• Volunteers can indulge their interesting history, archaeology heritage and or place.
• Volunteers can feel altruistic and satisfy their need to do so.
• Volunteers have something to dedicate themselves to/ be a focus for their attention

Being

• Volunteers can be the person they are and express and show that identity
• Volunteers can strengthen their sense of belonging by working in groups with others
• Volunteers can make a meaningful contribution that they feel good about

Capacity

• Volunteers can gain personal satisfaction and bolster employability by learning new skills
• Volunteers increase their interest in/ connection with the world around them by increasing their knowledge
• New perspectives/ opportunities gained from new or diversified experience

Sharing

• Volunteers connect their interest with others
• Volunteers increase their place attachment by connecting with heritage/ place/ community
• Volunteers gain satisfaction through increased social cohesion by connecting with a wider and more diverse range of people

Self-nurture

• Volunteers improve their physical health by being more physically active
• Volunteers increase their sense of hedonic wellbeing through experiences they enjoy
• Volunteers increase their sense of belonging and connectedness with others by extending networks

Self-actualisation

• Volunteers gain a sense of achievement by changing others knowledge and attitudes
• Volunteers take pride in improving the place / area where they are working
• Self-esteem is enhanced by feeling valued
• Optimism is increased by exploring future opportunities and aspirations

Inputs and opportunities provided by HaR interventions

Heritage volunteering offers

• Temporality. Volunteers enjoy the mindfulness and privileged access of niche opportunities
• Discovery. The excitement of discovery and seeing things in new ways contributes to hedonic wellbeing
• Authenticity: feeling connected to tangible remains from the past strengthens empathy and attachment
• Continuity. Activities linking past and present to future offer reassurance about the passage of time and impact positively on perceptions of self-efficacy, connectedness and fulfilment.

At-risk volunteering offers:

• Rescuing. Helping people preserve irreplaceable heritage enables volunteer, offers a sense of purpose, feeling needed and valued and success over adversity
• Nostalgia. Connecting with a lost past, place or person increases perceptions of connectedness, continuity and belonging, nurtures personal interests and builds empathy
• Transformation. Wellbeing is associated with the assurance that change over time is possible and with satisfaction is helping to achieve change.
• Legacy. Wellbeing related to giving, self-esteem and self-actualisation and feeling valued is associated with creating a meaningful legacy.