Volunteers in Action
These testimonials are a few years old and not a 100% reflection of the actual volunteer roles available today.
Project
Treloar’s College is a college for physical disabled students. It is part of Treloar´s, that is a registered charity and also runs a school, although my job was mainly in the College. The students can live there in different houses, staffed 24 hours a day, with any technology they need to live properly. It is located in Holybourne, Alton, Hampshire in a peaceful place in the countryside in Southern England.
About me
I am Adrian and my two surnames tell you that I am from Spain. I was 24 years old when I started the project and 25 when I finished it. I have been a scout since I was 8 years old and a scout leader since 2007. With the scouts I volunteered in some organizations and schools working with disabled students and I knew that you can learn a lot with them.
But, maybe, what I love the most and what my life is dedicated to, is films. My love of films has guided my life since I was a child and I want to work in the film industry in the near future. And because this love has helped me a lot during my life, I like to create activities to share my love with young people. That is what I did in Treloar’s, using Photography, ICT and Media classrooms, very related to films.
What was a working day like?
I woke up in my three-minute-to-job home and started the first lesson at 09.00 in the morning. There I helped the students to do their work, either in a small group or, usually, on a one-to-one basis. Sometimes I typed for them and other times I prepared the camera to be ready for them. I helped them as well in the darkroom or to make activities for Maths, English and ICT lessons.
I was a sort of key worker for one of the students, whose hobbies were much related to mine, so I helped him in Media lessons to create a Flash animation and in all the pre-production. As well as this, I helped one of the students create his first webpage with Dreamweaver.
I used to work 09.00 to 11.00, then 11.45 to 13.00, and finally 14.15 to 16.00 every weekday. On top of this, I had to help in some after class activities and volunteered in some that I liked. So, I helped in an iPad club. I created and managed a Radio Club with the collaboration of the rest of the volunteers, and I went many sessions of the Wheelchair Basketball Club to learn and play.
Finally, if you were lucky enough, you could go to help the students and the staff on the trips they prepared. I was lucky enough to go twice to the History Museum of London to see two photographic exhibitions that were amazing.
What did you enjoy about living in a different culture?
Even when European cultures are becoming less different over time, living in UK was a very interesting experience. Of course, the most important aspect was the language. I did not know English very well when I firstly arrived in September 2012, but now I can write this text you are reading, and you can see that although there are mistakes everywhere, it is pretty good for a Spanish guy who learnt English washing dishes in a hotel in London during a couple of summers.
Now I know English enough to be working as a Teaching Assistant in Surbiton, London. And I even assist in English lessons! All my life I will thank Treloar’s for having the patience to teach me words and every day idioms, and ICYE for trusting me and chosing me to be a Teaching Assistant even when they knew my English had to improve a lot.
Of course I also enjoyed any other aspects about living in English culture. Even more, I finished my volunteer placement in Treloar’s and I stayed in UK. Spain is still waiting for me and it has to wait a little bit longer.
What did you achieve?
Well, the language is the most obvious one, but my teaching skills are the most important ones. Before my placement in Treloar’s I was not so sure if being a teaching assistant in UK was easy of not; or if I could do it. But afterwards, and thanks to the staff I was working with, I realized that I could do it and I started to apply for schools and colleges. I now I am working in Surbiton. In London! In UK! Wow!
Everything I do every day now, I learnt previously at Treloar’s. Maybe, I would not have been brave enough to be doing what I am doing if Treloar’s and ICYE had not given me the confidence I needed.