Having volunteered at the Youth Adventure Trust for several years, we invited Irene to share her experience as a volunteer working with young people on our Resilience Programme.
“It’s very hard to put into words just how much being part of the Youth Adventure Trust means to me. I started volunteering because I wanted to make a difference to young people’s lives but I never expected just how much of a difference they would make to mine”
“For the past two years, I’ve been volunteering on the Resilience Programme in Somerset and we’re so lucky to be able to give our young people the opportunity to experience such a huge variety of activities – from coasteering and climbing to animal care, crafts and so much more.
Knowing that I can have a direct impact on a young person’s life simply by giving them the space to be themselves, try new things, grow in confidence and most importantly, feel supported and seen is honestly so special.
“But I also think sometimes they’ve changed me far more than I could ever help them. I’ve learnt so much from the young people I’ve met over the years and volunteering has become such an important part of my life. I genuinely look forward to our activity days every month. One of my favourite things is that I get to be completely silly with the young people too! Having fun, laughing and not taking ourselves too seriously is a huge part of who I am and I love being able to bring that side of myself to the programme and create those memories with them.”
“Volunteering with the Youth Adventure Trust has genuinely changed my life. I’ve been volunteering with the charity for over five years now and it’s incredibly rewarding to see the change in the young people we work with and to be a small part of their journey.”
Don Farmer, our Resilience Programme Lead, shared: “Irene is such a valued part of the Programme and is now entering year 3 of the Resilience Programme and has been there for the start of the work in Somerset.”
