Charity

Why did you volunteer for the RISE project?

I know that to be successful, programmes such as RISE rely on volunteers. I attended a school that was not known for academic achievement and most of the pupils either took no exams or only sat CSEs. No one from my year at school went to University and I passed my degree as a mature student after I joined HMRC. I, therefore, had been in the pupil’s position and could relate to them.

What did you have to do?

The RISE programme consists of a number of tasks all aimed at developing specific skills such as communication, team working, and problem-solving. The pupils work in small groups and, as a volunteer, I moved between the groups helping with the tasks where assistance was needed and talking to the pupils about how the tasks relate to my job and why the skills are important. There were also opportunities to talk to the pupils about their career aspirations and about my own education and career.

What Qs were you asked?

They asked lots of questions ranging from ‘Did you know what you wanted to do when you left school ?’ to ‘What is your favourite chocolate?’ They made me feel very welcome and were happy to include me in the tasks and their conversations.

Did you feel it had been a worthwhile experience?

I really enjoyed my morning at the Academy and feel it was a worthwhile thing to do. I was busy all morning and would have happily spent more time there. I felt that I learned as much, if not more, from the pupils as they learnt from me. I will definitely volunteer again if the opportunity arises.

Did you enjoy it?

I would recommend being a RISE volunteer but feel that you have to be a confident person and have experience talking to teenagers to enjoy it ( I was a guide leader for nearly 30 years). There were approximately 70 pupils taking part and they were noisy and excitable. It is not for the fainthearted!

Did your experience meet your prior expectations?

The experience far exceeded my expectations. I did wonder whether I was too old to relate to the pupils and whether they would be interested in talking to me. In fact, they were more than happy to talk and listen and I did feel that I had made a difference.

Why did you volunteer for the RISE project?

I have always wanted to do some kind of volunteering but when I saw this, I jumped at the opportunity! The thought of being able to try and inspire and motivate students is something that really excited me. I love the thought of supporting young people and helping them build their confidence, it was just the perfect opportunity to try and make a positive impact!

What did you have to do?

The session was led by a volunteer from The Talent Foundry, which consisted of a series of different tasks for the students to get involved in and discuss. They had to demonstrate different skills such as leadership, communication, team work etc, all of which are important for working life. Our job was to go around the different tables and chat to the students, help them to approach the given tasks and get involved in meaningful discussions.

What Qs were you asked?

Not so surprisingly the most common was ‘how much do you earn’ haha! The students asked a number of questions ranging from how did we start our careers e.g apprenticeship or university, a lot wanted to know more about the apprenticeship route (which is what I did), and also about our typical working days. There were some really good questions, and you could tell they were genuinely interested in finding out more.

Did you feel it had been a worthwhile experience?

100%! It was such a rewarding experience, and even though it was slightly more challenging at times, I would do it again and again! At the end of the sessions, the students were given an evaluation form to fill out and most of the responses we got was that the workshop really helped them build on their skills and they enjoyed it which was amazing!

Did you enjoy it?

Oh I loved it! Even though there were parts that were slightly more challenging (when the students weren’t listening or at times co-operating), I just really felt like we were there doing something good and helping and inspiring these students. There was even a couple of students that came over at the end and thanked us for our time and said we had ‘very kind hearts’ which was so lovely!

Did your experience meet your prior expectations?

I actually really didn’t know what to expect as it was my first time doing anything like this, so I was just going in with an open mind but this exceeded any sort of expectations I had. I just really loved the rewarding feeling I had afterwards, knowing I had managed to help and inspire some students, and hopefully have a positive impact on them!

Why did you volunteer for the RISE project?

I enjoyed school and attended a school which had a big focus on careers, advice and letting pupils know the options for the future. However, I am aware that not all schools offer this or have the resources to offer this, and therefore projects such as RISE are extremely beneficial to students, and being a part of that is something I knew would be a rewarding experience.

What did you have to do?

We started each session by meeting the students and introducing ourselves. The students then in groups completed a number of tasks based on workplace scenarios and I moved between the groups, assisting the students with these tasks and talking to them about their future career prospects and answering any other questions they had. The students’ tasks were based on various skills such as active listening, leadership and adaptability, they valued our input as volunteers into the tasks and then shared their ideas within the groups.

What Qs were you asked?

We took a wide range of questions from the students – the most common questions were based on how much you could earn in a career in accountancy and finance. Other students were interested in the working hours of the job as well as the number of holidays we can have each year. It was great to see the questions being asked as it showed the students interest in the role and the world of work.

Did you feel it had been a worthwhile experience?

Spending the morning with the students was a worthwhile experience and one I would do again. I believe the students learnt a lot from the workshops, but I also learnt a lot from them and the experience.

Did you enjoy it?

I thoroughly enjoyed being a RISE volunteer and would recommend this to others. I was a little nervous at first, as I hadn’t stepped foot into a school since I left in 2020, but I felt at ease straight away. I would say for this experience you need to be a confident person and not be afraid to talk to a group of people – there were around 40 students in each session.

Did your experience meet your prior expectations?

The experience exceeded my expectations, especially in how rewarding the day felt. The feedback we got from some students was amazing!