During Volunteers Week, we’re excited to celebrate the colleagues at Volunteering Matters who began their journey with us as volunteers. Some started as far back as the 1990s when we were known as CSV (Community Service Volunteers). We were thrilled to hear from Ryan, the Partnerships Manager for Volunteering Matters in Wales. Ryan began volunteering in Torfaen in 2014 and earned a Diana Award along the way.
“My time volunteering with the charity supported me through a difficult phase in my life, and I wanted to be able to give that support to other young people like me.”
“In 2014, when I was 16 years old, I volunteered for the Sex Matters Too project coordinated by Volunteering Matters in Torfaen. I delivered peer-led workshops on sexual health, sexual exploitation, and healthy relationships to the young people of Gwent. During that time, I served as a hub coordinator, helping to manage and support the personal development of volunteers at the Torfaen hub of the project.
In the Autumn of 2016, I was thrilled to receive the Diana Award for “selflessly transforming the lives of others and going above and beyond to create and sustain positive change” while working on the Sex Matters Too project coordinated by Volunteering Matters in Torfaen. Also, in the Summer of 2016, the Welsh Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) awarded me Young Volunteer of the Year for my work on the same project.
I enjoyed my volunteering experience and the opportunities it provided, and it has inspired me to pursue a career in the third sector. I am now employed full-time at Volunteering Matters. My time volunteering with the charity supported me through a difficult phase in my life, and I wanted to be able to give that support to other young people like me.”
Feeling inspired?
If Ryan’s story has inspired you to volunteer, take a look at our opportunities and start your journey today.
