Student Volunteer Profiles
Name: Beth Coombs
Age: 19
Course: Psychology
Year of Study: 2nd
Where are you currently volunteering and what does this involve? Romanian Action Aid: This summer I undertook work at two Romanian orphanages for two weeks. One of the orphanages was state run and the other run by a charity. They were very different but both very rewarding and I had a great time! It was heartbreaking at times but an amazing experience and one that I hope to repeat next year!
Community Volunteer Team: This scheme involved the organisation of an Elderly Persons Tea Party and volunteering at a local youth group. It also involved a team-building weekend in Exeter doing things like kayaking and rock climbing!
Student Community Action (SCA): I was joint Event Manager for BUSTED which is a project aimed at widening opportunities for under privileged children in the Bath area. I also supported other SCA run events such as the Bathwick Hill Fun Run, which raised funds for Romania.
Mencap: I was involved in an after school activities club for children with severe mental disabilities, including autism and ADHD every Friday afternoon. This experience increased my confidence and communication skills and my ability to understand the needs of children with learning disabilities.
What has been the best bit so far? I enjoy spending time and building up relationships with children who have often faced many challenges in life and so I find volunteering very rewarding at times. Romania was definitely a high point and so was being awarded the Child Volunteer of the Year award by the University!
Why did you decide to get involved with your volunteering placement? I felt like I wanted to do more at University than just study.
Name: Simon Foakes
Age: 21
Course: MEng Civil and Architectural Engineering
Year of Study: 2
Why did you decide to get involved with your volunteering placement? I met two famous Raggies (Huseyin and Panda) at the societies fair 2004, and they persuaded me to the first meeting - after that I was hooked on the unique blend of humour (both clean and otherwise!), fun activities and organising events and raids for worthy causes. Rag is a fun team of people who know how to raise a lot of money (often in collaboration with other societies within the SU, and other companies/ people) and have fun doing it!
What has been the best bit so far? Going on the Rag Easter Tour and the Edinburgh Hogmanay trips! We travelled to various places around the country and collected for charities, then went out together in the evening. Glorious fun : )
Where are you currently volunteering and what does this involve? Bath Rag, within the SU. I am Treasurer for this academic year, working closely with the other committee members and the administrator. My role currently entails revising and streamlining the accounting system, and assisting all raggies with finances and charity issues when needed. I also go on the odd charity collection ("raid"), and dress as Jack Sparrow (see pic!).
How long have you been volunteering there? 2 years plus! I have been Publicity Officer, Sponsorship Officer and now Treasurer. I plan to move around the committee roles for a fair while yet!
Name: Penny Hall
Age: 19
Course: Natural Sciences
Year of Study: 2nd
Where are you currently volunteering and what does this involve?
Bathwick St Mary's Primary School. I spend either a morning or afternoon a week there (depending on my timetable and the class schedule), listening to children read, helping with general class work, playtime etc.
What has been the best bit so far? Going into school gave me an opportunity to escape the university bubble (all be it a great one!) for a short period of time each week, and have a couple of hours of normality and routine! (Particularly the case for the first year, which can be a bit of a whirlwind!). What was great was that I also became part of the children's routine and they expected to see me, I was part of their week, as they were part of mine. I found listening to them read, and chatting to them on a one-to-one basis quite easy and relaxing (!); while working in the classroom helping lots of children to complete work and activities required more concentration and energy! I really enjoyed the couple of weeks in the run-up to Mother's Day, as I worked with small groups of about six children sewing gifts for their mums' - lots of needle threading and knot picking was required!
Why did you decide to get involved with your volunteering placement? Whilst doing my A Levels I mentored two younger students at my school in Chemistry and Maths, and found it really rewarding, so when I came to University in Bath I actively sort out a similar scheme. Initially I had hoped to work with older children again, in more specialised areas such as Science and Maths. However, I've found helping with younger children has provided more of a break and developed new skills for me; as I am not required to think academically (as when I was mentoring), but to show patience and enthusiasm and be able to relate to the children.
How long have you been volunteering there? I started volunteering in the November of my first year, and continued to visit Bathwick St Mary's up until my last week in Bath, before returning home for the summer. On my last day the teacher whose class I had volunteered in asked if I would come back to the school, and so I hope to see them all in October.
Name: Caley Parnell
Age: 19
Course: Psychology
Year of Study: 2
Where are you currently volunteering and what does this involve? In my first year at university I became a member of the Community Volunteer Team (CVT), I volunteered at Bath Cats and Dogs Home and I became a befriender for a voluntary organisation called Time 2 Share.
As a member of CVT I helped organise two projects: an older person's tea party in semester one and a youth centre scheme in semester two. The main focus of the team was the second project in semester two, the youth centre scheme. This involved getting lots of different societies and sports teams from the university involved in giving a taster session at the youth centre. The aim of these sessions was to give the members of the youth centre the opportunity to try activities/ sports that they wouldn't normally get the chance to try. This scheme ran successfully with a range of activities being put on of which floorball and gravity vomit, which is a circus skills group, proved the most popular.
My voluntary work at Bath Cats and Dogs Home involved walking a dog there most weekends or whenever I had some spare time within the week.
As a befriender for Time 2 Share I was linked with a young person with learning difficulties who I met every week and took out to participate in activities. I was linked with the young person based on what I could give considering my own interests and time constraints which resulted in the need to do activities that were close to home i.e. Bath City Farm or which were free, such as going to walk the dogs and see the cats at Bath Cats and Dogs Home. Although we did go into town or to the cinema on the odd occasion for variety and because they are activities the young person wouldn't get a chance to do otherwise.
What has been the best bit so far?
As a member of the CVT I think that one of the best bits was seeing the enjoyment that some of the members at the youth centre got from getting the opportunity to play floorball. This is quite a unique sport, which doesn't get played at schools, and so may be the only chance they get to play it. The session that Gravity Vomit delivered was also extremely good and got the greatest number of people from the youth centre involved. They brought a whole range of things to try out, including juggling, making balloon animals, the diablo and many more. The young people got really into this session and by the end of it seemed quite impressed with what they had managed to achieve and were now able to do.
The best bit from the Time 2 Share scheme would be taking the young person to Bath Cats and Dogs Home. This is because I could see the enjoyment he got out of walking the dogs and looking around at all of the dogs and cats. He liked going here best of all because he couldn't have a dog at home yet would really like one and so this was the next best thing.
Why did you decide to get involved in the volunteer placement? The main reason I got involved with the volunteering at university is because I have done lots of volunteering in the past - I completed the Millennium Volunteers scheme of 200 hours within a year and have enjoyed helping out with many different events and schemes on a voluntary basis and so I wanted to continue volunteering whilst at university.
I also strongly believe in the importance of volunteering and the need for volunteers to help those who really benefit from the time that you can give. Through volunteering I believe I have helped many people overcome barriers in their lives and to achieve things that they never would have thought possible. For example, I have done 3 weeks voluntary work at a place in the Lake District called Bendrigg Lodge, which is an outdoor activity centre for the disabled, and disadvantaged. Through volunteering here I have seen and helped with, for example, severely disabled wheelchair bound individual's abseiling 90 feet off a bridge and seeing the look of pure enjoyment on their face makes the volunteering seem worthwhile. It also gives you such a buzz to think you have helped someone achieve something like that. Or even just the satisfaction gained from taking a young person out to the cinema, something that they have never done before.
How long have you been volunteering there? I was a member of the CVT for 1 year at university, I became a befriender for Time 2 Share in my second semester at university and I volunteered at Bath Cats and Dogs Home throughout my first year at university.
Staff Volunteer Profiles
Name: Paul Brooks
Job Title: Transport and Asset Administrator
Department: Union Administration
Where are you currently volunteering and what does this involve? Scouts: Member of District Executive Committee. I am a Charity Trustee and on the committee responsible for financing the work of the District. I am also Health and Safety Officer for the camp site.
Bristol Concert Wind Band: I am Tutor/ Conductor of our adult beginners' band and I am Band Sergeant of the main Concert Band, responsible for equipment, seating and anything that nobody else wants to do. I am also a trustee and member of the committee.
Paul's Place: This is a charity which runs a social club and a day centre for disabled adults. I am the IT Consultant, which involves sorting out the computers for both the office and for the individual members, usually when M****soft crashes!
How long have you been volunteering there?
Scouts - Since 1979
Wind Band - Since 2003
Paul's Place - Since about 1995
What has been the best bit so far?
All of it, but with all activities, it's that moment when someone does something which they could not do before.
Why did you decide to get involved with your volunteering placement? I got asked to help originally and just got hooked.
Name: Andree Peacock
Job Title: Societies Administrator
Department: Students' Union
Where are you currently volunteering and what does this involve?
I do Witness Service for the Chippenham Magistrates and Swindon Crown and Magistrates. It involves greeting the prosecution witnesses and making them feel comfortable in a waiting room with TV and beverages. I explain the court procedure and what they will have to go through in court. I show them around the court and tell the prosecution barrister that they have arrived. He or she will explain everything to them so they are well primed and then I offer to go into the court with them as moral support.
How long have you been volunteering there? About 16 months.
What has been the best bit so far?
Really when they appreciate the advice and support you give and justice is seen to be done.
Why did you decide to get involved with your volunteering placement? A friend of mine is on the Parole Board and she said I would be good in this capacity.
Name: Merwyn Manson
Job Title: Corporate Development/ MRes/ MBA Careers Administrator
Department: School of Management
Where are you currently volunteering and what does this involve? I currently volunteer at the Mencap After School Sports Club. This is held at the University of Bath Sports Village every Friday during term time from 3.30pm to 5pm. Children aged 6 to 18 with links to Mencap come and play a variety of sports including judo, football and trampolining. We play along with them and help them where necessary as many of the children have physical disabilities as well as learning disabilities.
How long have you been volunteering there? This will be my third year of volunteering with this scheme - and we always need more volunteers. (If anyone would like to contact me about this scheme I am happy to talk to them about it.)
What has been the best bit so far? Helping Rosie - who is in a wheelchair and almost non verbal - to play football (and score a few goals!). It's amazing where you can hide a football when you are in a wheelchair as you make your way towards the goalkeeper! Apart from this it is the most enjoyable way to wind down ready for the weekend after a full week at work.
Why did you decide to get involved with your volunteering placement? Having previously worked with learning disabled adults I jumped at the chance to work with the children involved in this scheme. The pleasure gained from watching their enjoyment is priceless. I know it's a cliche but you really do get much more out of it than you put in.
Have you done any other volunteering in the past? I have been volunteering on and off since I was a teenager, including visiting older persons in their homes, playing with and reading to children in hospital and working on a scheme to involve learning disabled adults in the performing arts.