Volunteer’s Week

Since leaving 6th form and throughout my degree so far I've volunteered for two organisations. The first of these is Active Training and Education (A.T.E)  a not-for-profit educational trust that runs children's summer camps and school weeks in centres across the UK. Having trained as a summer camp monitor when I was still a 6th form student I soon learned that the A.T.E experience is unlike any other.. I've since spent weeks in countryside mansions and boarding schools hiding in the woods, crawling through underground tunnels and hunting mysterious characters who appear out of nowhere with news of villains that need to be captured. I've had more fun volunteering on these 'superweeks' than I can recall ever having when I was a child; there is nothing quite like watching an A.T.E first timer discover all the excitement of that A.T.E has to offer and taking them home to their parents at the end of the week brimming with stories to tell.

More recently, I've become involved with GirlGuiding UK and have trained as a unit leader, helping to run a Rainbows group (5-7 yrs). I've gained so much from the experience, meeting new people, developing my leadership skills and having the chance to get involved in a huge range of projects.

This week is Volunteer's Week in the UK so I felt compelled to share a little about my experience of being a volunteer. Volunteering is an experience I'd recommend to anyone - there are so many opportunities to volunteer regardless of how much or how little time you have to give.

Volunteer's Week UK

Active Training and Education

GirlGuiding UK