Katie's story

When I first moved to the UK in 2014, I was faced with the daunting task of finding somewhere to live in London. I soon learned several important things: firstly, that even the most dismal of dwellings was eye-wateringly expensive, and secondly, that flat hunting could be as lawless as the Wild West.

After turning down the usual progression of mildewed bedrooms, overcrowded sharers, and cupboards chirpily described by letting agents as ‘cosy’, I ended up in an illegal sublet. Not surprisingly,the so-called landlord (actually a tenant cashing in on the spare room) disappeared into the sunset with our deposit—never to be seen again. It wasn’t great, but I knew it could be worse. After all, if it was this bad for my partner and I with our permanent work contracts and above-average salaries, what was it like for people who were less fortunate?

I stumbled across the Stories Volunteer role on the Shelter website late one night in early 2024. I was undergoing IVF treatment at the time and my thoughts were very much on the sort of world I wanted my hoped-for child to live in. I felt that giving even a little time to Shelter was one way I could improve what they might find when or if they arrived.

As a Stories Volunteer, I help to share the extraordinary contribution that Shelter’s army of volunteers makes towards ending homelessness. I interview volunteers (like you, dear readers!) and I write up their stories. I thought I’d enjoy the role when I applied—I love both talking to people and writing—but I didn’t expect to discover such a rich cross section of experiences or such a dizzying view of the thousands of tiny spinning wheels that makes the work of a large charity like Shelter possible.

I have spoken to a fellow stories volunteer, an ad-hoc events volunteer, and a legacy and memory volunteer and learned that volunteering can be a wildly diverse and rewarding experience.

It can involve providing admin support for a team in Shelter’s London office … or holding a collection bucket at a post-punk concert. I have also discovered that those who offer their time and skills to Shelter do so because they care deeply about the injustices of the housing system—whether they have personal experience of poor or insecure housing or not.

One of the most important things I’ve gleaned from the volunteers I’ve spoken to is just how much difference a very little time can make.

I think I was reluctant to volunteer for so long because I didn’t think I could give anything valuable in the small amount of time I could spare. The fact is that even one, two, three hours a year is a worthwhile contribution. I very much hope that by reading these stories that others will realise just how diverse—and fun—an experience volunteering can be.

My son was born in October 2024 and as he grows up, I want to make sure that volunteering and giving time to our community is part of our family’s life. And I very much hope that sharing these stories will encourage more volunteers to come forward with theirs. Whatever you do to support Shelter, it’s enormously valuable—and someone else is going to read about it and think, ooh I could do that.