Ali Badji – Burmantofts Community Friends

Ali first thought about volunteering when he was at the barbers chatting with friends, he popped down to the Volunteer Centre where he chatted to a volunteer, telling him, “I am an asylum seeker, I’m not doing anything, and I just want to do something”. Ali reached out to Burmantofts Community Friends. This was two years ago now and during that time Ali has made a real impression on the members who are always pleased to see him.

Ali reflected on the diverse people that he sees in his volunteering, meeting people from Gambia, South Asia and Vietnam and how this makes Burmantofts Community Friends a more welcoming space. Ali sees the members he works with as his parents or grandparents and hates to see them struggling, he shared “I feel it, like my mum or dad. I feel like that may be me tomorrow, and I’ll be sitting, and I’ll need someone to help me. So that’s why I don’t like missing [volunteering], it’s very rare, it has maybe been once or twice, I was poorly but I felt, oh they will be struggling without me, especially carrying the tables”. For Ali, the core of his volunteering role is in helping, being friendly, communicating and making sure people are happy with the service. To people who are considering volunteering Ali says “I can say it’s good whilst you’re not doing anything, just once a week, it’s alright, it’s not bad”.