I love volunteering. I love giving people confidence and courage to do things. I am applying for jobs at the moment but if I could be a volunteer forever, I would.

My confidence has grown massively – I don’t shut up now!

At the beginning, I was shy and reserved – after attending some training, I steadily built myself up.

I started an Early Years Nursery Practitioner course in September 2019, and though I found it challenging; with hard work and support, I successfully completed the course in January 2020.
Now I am in the process of looking for a job as a Nursery Practitioner while still volunteering at the Children’s Centre. To help me get a job, I also received help on making a CV.

My life has changed so much for the better over the past few years. If anyone is thinking of volunteering, I’d say: “Just do it! Go for it! Get on it!”

I needed to get out of the house and meet other people. I’d only been involved with Military life previously and that was all I knew, I moved to Blackpool and have had to start my life again – this has meant making new links in education, volunteering etc. It’s really been worth it.

It’s built my confidence and got me doing more things. I’ve met loads of new people who are like me and in a similar situation to myself.

I volunteer more for myself and to gain experience of being involved in my community. Before I started volunteering, I had nothing, I had just been on the dole since I left school.

Volunteering has helped me to meet new people and help other people effectively. It has helped me to learn new skills. It’s helped me in my business, and I feel really confident in my delivery now.

Volunteering has had a massive impact – before I volunteered, I didn’t know anyone, not a single person.

I had just come out of bad relationship and was totally alienated with no friends, no family and absolutely no confidence.

I wouldn’t go anywhere I didn’t know, and I didn’t know how to talk to people. Then I met another volunteer with the VA, if she hadn’t taken me to Grange Children’s Centre, I wouldn’t have met the Community Connector, and I wouldn’t have met the VA team, I would have been completely stuck.

At the time I was so unsure, and I wasn’t sure I even wanted to volunteer. I wouldn’t have done it without that volunteer, she’s my best friend now, and through her, my life has changed for the positive forever. She comes round to my house 2/3 nights a week, our kids are the best of friends, we all have tea together, play games and we support each other – we are more like family than friends, and I’ve got volunteering to thank for that.