Volunteering for Generation Exchange is rewarding and enjoyable, and is beneficial for both the children and the older volunteers. Read our volunteer stories below learn more about the difference that volunteering has made for them.
“…it’s interesting…if you can do some good to help a child to read..you feel useful…it’s not difficult…”
“The programme has been really well organised and thoughtful – not every project looks after its volunteers this well! Thanks!” (Volunteer aged 58 years)
“The children were absolutely lovely! It was such a nice experience knowing that I would be going there each week and see them move onto different books and ask so many questions!” (Volunteer aged 67 years)
“I was volunteering elsewhere and a colleague suggested volunteering with children. It sounded interesting so, when I had finished my other volunteering I realised I was ready for a change. I enjoy interacting with young children. They have such a sense of fun and I like trying to make the time spent reading with them both interesting and fun too.
I find it very rewarding working with the children. You can see so much improvement with the 1:1 involvement in just a few months. “
“It’s important to do this kind of volunteering through an organisation. You get training, you can attend meetings with other volunteers, and so you have that network, which is different from being a parent volunteer in a school. I think it’s really important to get that support, and for the school as well, so it’s all done properly. It’s really good meeting with the others and talking together, you pick up things, you can discuss and learn from the others.
The other thing is getting positive feedback from the teachers. It is quite nice to do something useful. It is so vital. I do feel a little bit evangelical about getting people to read. Sometimes the kids will say things to you that they won’t say to others. We had training about how to deal with this so we know what to do.”
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