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Report transcript in: Rima's volunteering journey
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Rima's volunteering journey
Please Report the Errrors?
So could you tell us a little bit about
what prompted you to volunteer in the first place?
When I came to England,
I
I didn't even understood what volunteering is.
So But there was people who asked my help, and I was helping.
So there was
lady who asked me to help to translate. And we went to
in school
with her son
and I was translating to her, and one of the youth organisations was there
to support
the family.
And they invited for me to come and help them out
when we were meeting and
it started from there.
And
as I was thinking before how it started, I was
thinking afterwards my experience was with No, My first experience was with you,
uh,
group and
I was around the
you helping them and everything.
And then I had my third
child.
So was stay at home mom for quite a few years
afterwards. What I noticed because
most of the things are
was at least
under fives
and I had
two under fives and one
older
and without the family and friends, I couldn't leave him anywhere.
Yeah,
so
we started doing activities for
so we could join with our all kids
wouldn't be separated.
And that's how I started my community group,
which I didn't understood where I am going.
So,
um,
it was quite a
big learning leap.
What is community group? How to lead? What? The
policies, procedures, fundings,
you name it. So
that's how I got to volunteering because I wanted
something to do with us. My Children.
Oh, that's wonderful. That's a great way to get into it. Yeah. Thank you. And did you
face any barriers to doing that?
And And if you did, how did you overcome them, or did it all run quite smoothly, Or
so as I mentioned,
um,
my background, like I came from Lithuania.
So I didn't know any policies, anything. But we had
community coordinator,
and she was really helpful. She encouraged us, um
teached how to apply for funds, where to look for them,
how to make constitution, which we didn't even understood
what
what needs to be on and everything. And
another thing was communication.
Probably the biggest barrier was communication, and not because of language,
but just to understand each other in a group
outside of a group and everything
so Yeah, I learned
my best girl. Probably.
Yeah. Communicate to each other.
Oh, that's that's great that you were able to overcome those.
And, uh, it sounds as though
the way the volunteering that you did really connected you to your community.
It did because we done
first. We started with two after school clubs, and it was like
it wasn't small. It was around 20 kids coming in this
way
and everything
when we had quite a huge event,
Um, and turn out was like,
200 people would come. So that was
That was another thing to learn how to manage
this big
amount of people coming in and
everyone enjoyed because it wasn't
at the minute there wasn't anything similar. What we ran
like what we done in the past?
Yeah,
that's incredible. That you had you had to really learn a lot from,
you know, from scratch, didn't you?
And you've You've sort of mentioned how that really
helped you personally as well as helping your community.
Um, So what difference do you think? Like
volunteering generally.
Uh, what difference do you think volunteering makes to people
and communities?
Yeah. First of all,
what it makes It's
a lot. It is so much
space personally to grow, so to learn all the skills
and every different,
sometimes different training,
sometimes just situations teach you what to do and how to do
on the other side.
You even don't know
how much
your little things helps to community.
I still meet some families who say
How do you remember that? And we came to this event and it was lovely to see you and
or like I say, my kids grew up with the kids who attended the clubs and I see them now.
Teenagers big.
I
still remember. Yeah,
that's lovely. So it must have had a real impact on those people.
Yeah, And another thing is, when
I went
and I learned a lot about other community groups,
other organisations and what they do,
So
I've been volunteering in a couple of them,
so I learned different skills, but as well they
were able as well to
to do the work we do because we had similar people. To me, I mean volunteering
because otherwise we wouldn't be able to provide the service.
No,
no, that's that's wonderful that that people have given their time to do that.
So, lastly, I mean, it sounds like you've had an amazing experience.
What would you say to
anyone else? Thinking of volunteering?
Perhaps somebody who hasn't volunteered before. But they're thinking about it.
What would you
say to them?
Volunteering helps you to
To explore the things what you are passionate about
as well
to to learn.
Um, if for me was always what I wanted to help you.
So I learned so much about it. I gained safeguarding
past aid and all those trainings. So everything.
And, uh,
just to to dig in and just search around his There is so much amazing
Amazing organisations, amazing groups,
amazing people doing so much for the communities, for
for everyone. And
you can
learn a lot, make new friends
and sometimes that leads to employment
For me, that was the case. Yeah. Oh, that's wonderful.
Thank you very much indeed for sharing your volunteer story with us.
Thank you.
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