10 May 2024

Szilvia started working as a volunteer while she was doing a Law and Criminology degree. It helped her realise that she wanted a career supporting people in crisis. She now works with Hestia as part of its modern slavery team.

How did you get into volunteering for Hestia?

I was doing a degree in Law and Criminology and I was very interested in the impact of domestic abuse so I got in touch with Hestia. They mentioned that I could volunteer on the referral line and it sounded perfect. I volunteered for about a year and then after I finished my degree I decided to apply to Hestia to work in the modern slavery team. During my time as a volunteer I supported a woman who was a victim of modern slavery so that’s where my interest in working in this area came from.

What does a typical day/evening of volunteering look like?

I’ll never forget taking my first call, it felt quite scary picking up the phone, not knowing who was on the other end but the team are amazing. They are so helpful and supportive. They really reassured and helped me and that’s a big part of the reason that I decided to apply to Hestia for a job. I’m still in touch with my manager from the referral line as she was incredible and really looked after everyone.

On a typical day I would start taking calls at about 10am. You get a real variety. Sometimes it’s calls from victims, at other times it might be family, friends or even social workers. We will go through a list of questions – we always check if they are safe and if they need refuge urgently. It’s just about talking to them, finding out what they’ve been through and what they need. You give advice and talk them through what support they can get.

For me, volunteering was a good place to start and see if a career working in a crisis organisation was for me. I wasn’t sure before I started if I could handle it, but I surprised myself.

What are common situations that people who call find themselves in?

On one call, the lady was from my home country, Hungary, and we spoke the same language so we really connected. She had two children and her husband had been abusive for some time. She packed everything while her husband was sleeping and left with her children. She called me as she was leaving as she needed a refuge place urgently.

Another young woman was just 18 years old and was living at home with her mum and brother. Her mum was very cruel and was hitting her all the time, she wouldn’t even let her sleep in a bed. It was a very abusive situation, and she was so young. I helped to get her into a refuge, and she was able to start a new life.

What sort of emotional support do you get if you’ve had a difficult call?

I think one of the things that really impressed me was the level of support, especially for our own mental health. As a team we felt very appreciated and very well looked after. The role can be pretty challenging at times, but I always felt I had someone to talk to after a difficult call and the support I got as a volunteer is why I decided to apply for a job at Hestia.

What did you learn about yourself during your time of volunteering?

I learnt so much about myself. In particular, I learnt how to stay calm and be more empathetic. I also became very good at detecting quickly if I was dealing with an emergency situation – you have to stay sharp because someone can be in danger. These are all skills that I have taken with me into my job working with the trafficking team at Hestia, so it has supported my career development too.

One of the things that really impressed me was the level of support, especially for our own mental health. As a team we felt very appreciated and very well looked after.

What would you say to encourage others to join the Domestic Abuse referral line volunteering team?

I would say just do it! It will challenge you, you’ll learn a lot about yourself, and you will be helping so many other people. For me, volunteering was a good place to start and see if a career working in a crisis organisation was for me. I wasn’t sure before I started if I could handle it, but I surprised myself. It really helped me to know what I wanted to do and what I wanted out of my career.

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We are currently looking for more volunteers for our Refuge Referral Line. If you are interested, please do get in touch to find out more: https://www.hestia.org/referral-line