 Eleanor |
GET ENVOLVED! - what our volunteers say |
I am a full time geography student at Bath Spa University College and initially came to Envolve on a two-week work placement. I was asked to help organise the Green Light on Bath lecture series - a lively and informative series of monthly talks and debates on issues of local and global sustainability.
I really enjoyed the experience of volunteering. It provided me with the work placement required by my University and gave me the opportunity to develop skills such as communication, design and IT as well as become more involved with the local environmental movement.
After my work placement was over there was still so much more to do and I had enjoyed the experience so much that I decided to stay on as a volunteer working on the Green Light lectures one day a week. As I had managed to secure a lot of sponsorship for the event Envolve were able to use a bit of this money to pay me for some of my time, in addition to my volunteering work.
Since joining, Envolve many new opportunities have presented themselves. Whilst thinking about getting a job for the summer I was offered work helping in the offices at Green Park Market and in the Green Park Express selling organic, fair-trade and local produce. Volunteering for Envolve has not only provided me with paid employment but has enabled me to make contacts which I hope will be of use when I graduate. I have met representatives from Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Energy for Sustainable Development as well as the Executive Director of Responsible Travel (an internet company providing environmentally and socially responsible holidays) and the shadow Transport Minister (with whom I am now on first name terms!).
Volunteering has been a hugely rewarding and useful experience. It has increased my knowledge of and passion for environmental issues which has fed back into my degree. I have met loads of interesting people and made some good friends. I would recommend volunteering to anyone. It looks great on your CV, is challenging, rewarding and can lead to great things!!