Volunteering as a Video Editor/Content Creator

Learning Through Community Practice

During 2024-25, I volunteered as a video editor and creative contributor for Carlisle Eden Mind, my local branch of Mind. This experience sits very naturally within the aims of MDIA5007, as it brought together professional practice, workplace relationships, ethics, and personal values in a real-world context.

My main point of contact during this period was Sam McWhan, who was consistently supportive, encouraging, and enthusiastic about exploring creative ways to engage their audience. I attended several meetings to discuss organisational needs and potential creative directions, and from the outset, I felt welcomed and trusted despite still being early in my professional development. That sense of trust made it easier to contribute ideas confidently and to engage with the organisation as a collaborator rather than simply a volunteer.

Creative Contribution and Outcomes

Over the course of the collaboration, I created two completed videos for the organisation, which are now hosted on YouTube. These projects required me to work sensitively within a mental health context, prioritising clarity, tone, and accessibility over visual complexity. This was a valuable shift from university-led projects, where experimentation and stylistic ambition are often encouraged. In this setting, the responsibility was to communicate clearly and respectfully, ensuring the final videos felt appropriate and supportive for their intended audience.

Alongside the completed work, there were plans to expand the collaboration further. One fascinating idea was to run creative sessions where children could animate their own drawings — an initiative intended to support confidence, expression, and wellbeing through creativity. This concept was very much driven by Sam’s enthusiasm and belief in the value of creative engagement.

Learning From Disruption and Change

Unfortunately, when Sam left the organisation, the wider plans lost momentum, and the collaboration naturally stalled. While this was disappointing, it became an essential professional learning experience. It highlighted how reliant projects can be on individual advocates within organisations, particularly in charity and community settings where staffing capacity is often limited.

This experience helped me understand that not all creative disruptions reflect the quality of the work or the relationship itself. Changes in personnel, priorities, or funding can quickly reshape what is possible. Learning to accept this without frustration, and without taking it personally, is an integral part of developing professional resilience.

Rather than viewing the experience as unfinished or unsuccessful, I see it as a paused relationship. The work completed still has value, and the potential for future collaboration remains if circumstances align again.

Personal Connection and Ethical Practice

Volunteering with Mind was particularly meaningful to me on a personal level. Mental health is a cause close to my heart, both through my own experiences and those of family members, including my mother. This personal connection made me especially conscious of the ethical responsibility involved in producing content for vulnerable audiences.

The experience reinforced that professionalism is not only about technical ability but also about empathy, care, and context awareness. These considerations strongly align with MDIA5007’s emphasis on professional identity, ethics, and conduct within the workplace.

Volunteering and Skills-Based Contribution Beyond Traditional Media

Alongside organisations such as Media Trust, I also identified platforms like Educational Voice, which focus on supporting non-profit and educational organisations through accessible media services. While Educational Voice is primarily voice-focused, its non-profit work highlights how creative skills can be adapted to support charities, education providers, and community organisations in practical, targeted ways.

Although my own background spans animation, video editing, and voice performance, this research reinforced the importance of flexibility within a portfolio career. It demonstrated that creative practitioners are often most valuable when they can translate their skills across formats and contexts, responding to the communication needs of different sectors rather than rigid job titles. For me, this connects directly to my broader professional identity as a visual storyteller, capable of contributing across media where appropriate.

Researching platforms like Educational Voice has helped me better understand how volunteering and reduced-rate creative work can operate ethically when expectations, purpose, and audience are clearly defined. This distinction is essential for avoiding unpaid labour without structure, while still allowing creatives to support meaningful causes aligned with their values.

Reflection and Next Steps

This volunteering experience reinforced that professional development does not only occur through paid work or formal placements. Informal, values-driven opportunities can be just as instructive, particularly in understanding workplace dynamics, ethical responsibility, and the realities of organisational change.

Moving forward, I want to approach future volunteering with clearer project structures, documented proposals, and realistic expectations around continuity. If I do reconnect with Carlisle Eden Mind in the future, I will bring these lessons with me, ensuring that practical frameworks support creative ideas. This experience helped clarify the kind of creative professional I aim to be, not only technically capable, but thoughtful, adaptable, and grounded in the real human impact of creative work.

As Stop4Media develops, I may not have time to volunteer, but we shall see moving forward.

References

• Campbell, D. (2025). You in Mind - Carlisle Eden Mind. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/o1NGPEzqqiw?si=yQM8CWSH7qvqafIR [Accessed 18 Dec. 2025].

• Educational Voice (2025) Non-profit industries. Available at: https://educationalvoice.co.uk/industries/non-profit/ (Accessed: 18 December 2025).

• Media Trust (2025) Volunteer your media skills. Available at: https://mediatrust.org/ (Accessed: 18 December 2025).

Fig. 2. Carlisle Eden Mind first video I produced and voiced. (Campbell, 2025)

Fig. 3. Carlisle Eden Mind second video I produced and voiced. (Campbell, 2025)

Fig. 4. Educational Voice (Educational Voice, 2025)

Fig. 5. Meda Trust (Meda Trust, 2025)

Fig. 1. Compilation created in Photoshop. (Campbell, 2025)

AI Use Statement

Generative AI tools were used to support the structuring, editing, and clarity of this reflective writing. All ideas, critical analysis, and personal reflections are my own.