Local profile: Zoe

Hannah Cunningham from Volunteer Marlborough

What do you do when you volunteer? When I volunteer, it is normally in the form of something to do with conservation, such as leading beach cleanups, dive cleanups or helping at conservation days.

What is your favourite part? Seeing how I can inspire people to step up and also help out in the community. I also really like that I can combine my passion of the outdoors with volunteering. It also benefits me as giving back to the community is a key way to improve mental health.

Why did you start volunteering? I started volunteering because I was interested in giving back to the community and creating a better world for us to live in. I also think it's important to create awareness about the problems in our society and how we can all contribute to the solutions.

How do you feel your volunteer work impacts the Marlborough community? When I do beach clean-ups a lot of people say to me that they never knew about the effect on rubbish in the environment so it is really cool that those people who come to the clean ups will decide to change something about their life that will benefit the environment. Getting my dive certification also means that I can encourage young people to learn to dive.

What do you do when you are not volunteering? When I’m not volunteering, I’m usually enjoying the outdoors by tramping or diving, playing the piano, hanging out with friends, or reading a good book!

What would you say to someone who is thinking about starting volunteering? Go for it! Volunteering is a great way to get involved in and give back to the community. I think the best thing to do is find something you are passionate about and see what volunteer options are available surrounding that passion. But really just try it! If you don’t try, you’ll never know what it’s like.