“After the pandemic hit, I approached the volunteer coordinator and completed the volunteer training”.
The first programme I was involved in was Bookstart Corner – encouraging children from an early age to enjoy books and rhymes. I then trained as a Mentor Me volunteer, working within a school setting. I enjoyed building a relationship with the child, working through any issues they had and helping them to gain confidence.
I pursued a career further as a TA and carried on volunteering in a school with the Mentor Me programme. I had the full support of The RISE Trust when completing application forms – they were happy to provide references for me which was fantastic. I gained employment as a Teaching Assistant drawing on my experience from my volunteer roles – I had quite a lot to tell. It was lovely to have positive feedback from both the child and school when completing that placement at the end of the year.
I would thoroughly recommend volunteering as a way of gaining experience and getting into the workplace – it’s extremely rewarding! I’d recommend it to anybody.
Feeling inspired?? Get in touch with Vicky on 01249 464008 or email vickyw@therisetrust.org