Volunteer Profiles PDF Print E-mail

Volunteering is a two way process. Of course first and foremost it's an opportunity to serve others - but as all our volunteers will testify, they get a whole lot out of it too.  Here's a little about just a few of our volunteers...

Ann Adamson - Aspire Mentoring/Rally

‘I am a woman who 3 years ago was on heroin, crack cocaine, and living on the streets.  With the help of 58i and Aspire Mentoring, I have completed accredited courses in mentoring skills and substance misuse awareness.

I am now a volunteer at Rally and a Volunteer Peer Mentor for Aspire Mentoring and am able to help people who are in the same or similar situations to those I was in.'

Volunteer Hosts - Nottingham Nightstop

My wife and I began hosting for Nottingham Nightstop about a year ago. We heard about the scheme through church and had been thinking about homelessness and what we could do to help people for a while. Having both grown up in loving, stable homes we found the idea of being homeless as a teenager very upsetting and we felt Nightstop was something really practical we could do to help vulnerable young people facing this horrible situation.

We have hosted a number of young people and find they have a range of personalities from some who are very outgoing and will talk your ear off all night, to those who don’t feel like talking and would rather go to bed early. While we were initially a bit apprehensive about meeting strangers the thing that stands out is that they are just normal and without exception very friendly. It is easy to get lost in conversation and forget the situations they are in then they will say something that reminds you they have nowhere else to go and it can be heartbreaking.

Liz Gavens - King's Village

‘I am a junior doctor planning to pursue a surgical career. I also have a strong desire to work in rural Africa in the future.

In 2008, I visited the King's Village to volunteer in the medical centre for two weeks.  I really enjoyed my time with the medical team and was impressed with the high level of professionalism, the confident way they handled difficult situations and the welcoming atmosphere. I found it a real surprise to find people literally travelling for days to attend the medical centre.

During my time with the project I also visited some local villages with the health promotion team. It was great to see the interaction between the project and the local communities and exciting to see the response of local people.

Overall I had an amazing time in Ghana and look forward to returning to work with the team again in the near future.'

Terry Carpenter - CAP

‘As a businessman I have enjoyed times of success but also times of huge financial pressure. Having been in at the point of bankruptcy I fully understand the pressures facing the clients of CAP and their families. This is one of the reasons I volunteered to help in this project.

I have been a CAP volunteer for well over a year now.  I often accompany the CAP worker on home visits and provide follow-up support to clients.

For me the work provides an opportunity to put my faith into action, to meet people where they are at, to empathize with them and to help provide a service that genuinely offers the opportunity of a much brighter future. I find the work hugely rewarding, and I truly believe that none of the experiences we have in life are wasted, all of us can use them for the benefit of others.'

Peter Collins - Saturday Serving (now known as Renew)

Project Manager 2005- January 2010

‘I am a primary school teacher in Nottingham. I have always felt the need for justice in society and have seen more and more the inequality and injustice meted out to so many.  The reality is  people wind up in difficulties for so many reasons and  it's too easy to judge.

For me Saturday Serving provides a great opportunity to serve the disadvantaged and in doing so demonstrate the love of Christ.'