I volunteer by co-ordinating youth work in the estates in Bangor through my church- Bangor Elim. I started to do it because I felt called to. My pastor had a vision to see something provided for the estates and their young people and because I have a passion for that kind of volunteering I wanted to do it. We have 2 drop-ins in estates and it's a facility where young people can relax, have fun or talk over their concerns with the leaders. We have a great relationship with the young people - we respect them and they respect us. At VSB I run a Transport Buddy project in North & West Belfast and the Ards Peninsula. Its aim is to help isolated older people to get out and about using both public and community forms of transport. A 'Transport Buddy' supports and accompanies an older person on journeys until such times when they can travel independantly. Volunteering is so important any kind of volunteering really makes a difference to the lives of individuals and the wider community. Volunteers can also reap rewards from offering their time and expertise. Not only is it an exercise in personal development, it can enjoyable and gives you the chance to meet different people, create valuable experiences and develop new skills. To be honest the benefits far outweigh the negatives. In fact I would find it hard to find any negatives. When I look back to all the people I met and all the things I've done I'm glad I did it. I didn't realise it was volunteering at the beginning, it was just something I really enjoyed doing. I think years ago volunteering was seen very much as you give and that's all it is, which is very noble and there's still alot of that happening but it works both ways now. We get a lot of students in looking for experience to get a job and back up their qualifications. I did a degree in something totally unrelated but started to volunteer during it in youth work and ended up going in that direction as a career. If you haven't volunteered, I suggest you try it and find out for yourself.

Angela Teggart