Tessa Francis – Being You Leeds
"Interesting. Vulnerable. Community" These are the words Tessa uses to describe her volunteering role... Tessa finds her volunteering role very interesting. As an Anti-stigma Champion, she reaches out to communities to talk...
Lizzie Snow – Voluntary Action Leeds
Experience – Learning - Connected Lizzie is a huge advocate for volunteering and this began in her recent experience of volunteering oversees. Lizzie’s main motivation for volunteering is to gain experience while she’s...
Adel Chermiti – Leeds Hyde Park Sports club
“Giving back to the community, helping others and giving them that opportunity” For Adel Chermiti volunteering was something he jumped into with both feet, using his love for football as a way to...
Graham Moses – Farsley Rehoboth
“Suckered into it” Not necessarily the most glowing review for the beginning of someone’s journey with volunteering, but Graham’s story at Farsley Rehoboth shows how volunteering can creep up on you and become...
Anna Comerford – Youth Justice Service
“Rewarding, challenging, community” Anna is a volunteer for the Youth Justice Service, she works with young people as a way to keep them away from custody after they have committed a crime. With...
Waqas Albajjari – Community Champions
Helping, Creative and Confidence are the three words Waqas used to describe his volunteering experience. Waqas was a volunteer for Community Champions. He helped to translate health messages relating to Covid-19 and in his...
Ann and Tony Christian – Thackray Medical Museum
“Useful and enjoyable” - “something to do” For Ann and Tony volunteering is something to do, as rather altruistically described by Tony, whilst being more than that, Tony went on to tell me...
Heathcliff Howard – IntoUniversity
Heathcliff is a student and a volunteer. He volunteers for a charity that offers mentors to young people wanting to access higher education. Heathcliff as a mentor has meetings with his Mentee on...
Suzanne Tobin – Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT)
“Aspirational, satisfying, needed” “There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing someone smile when you’ve helped” - Suzanne is a volunteer coordinator, who began her career by volunteering for Leeds Bosom Buddies. They run hospital...
Sherin Ann Saji – Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT)
“Character improvement, confidence and motivation” Sherin’s volunteering has been a way for her to get out of her comfort zone and push herself to try new things. She described to me how she...
Mike Sandford – Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT)
“Rewarding, thought provoking, challenging” Mike volunteers within St James’ hospital as a part of the Leeds Way Welcome team. He spends time greeting and directing patients as they enter and navigate around the...
Lynda and Paul Hogarth – Farsley Rehoboth
“Community, Camaraderie and Friends” That’s how Lynda and Paul described their experience of volunteering to me, quickly followed by Paul describing how it’s kept them active “physically and probably more importantly mentally”. The...
Jonothan and Christine Isles – Farsley Rehoboth
“Give something back” Johnathan and Christine, like Paul and Lynda first started volunteering at Farsley Rehoboth due to a family connection with the graveyard, but it’s become so much more than that. They...
Vivienne Bate – Beeston in Bloom
“Therapeutic, useful, enjoyable” “I’ve always been interested in gardening, and I love where I live, I’ve lived in Beeston for 84 years, and I'm fond of it so I like to do something...
Linda Stanley – Beeston in Bloom
“Rewarding, friendship, community” The logo for Beeston in Bloom is “promote community pride”, they aim to improve their local area through gardening. Linda told me about the “precious green space” that Cross Flatts...
Leroy Ivanov – Battle Scars
“learning”, “socialising” and “compassionate” are the three words Leroy Ivanov used to describe his experience volunteering. Leroy volunteers for Battle Scars, a charity the supports people who self harm, their volunteers have all...
Ellie Wright – Battle Scars
For Ellie, volunteering is about getting involved in communities and being a part of building their own community. It’s also a way for them to feel empowered by contributing to causes they care...