My volunteering story – James

1) How long have you been volunteering at Grimm & Co and why did you start volunteering with us?

I have been volunteering for 2 1/4 years, and I started in March 2018.

2) What area do you usually volunteer in?

I am a workshop mentor, helping in the Saturday Club.

3) What’s the best thing about volunteering with Grimm & Co?

Cliché alert!  Working with the kids is by far the best thing about volunteering at Grimm. Their open-mindedness, conscientiousness and thought processes are wonders to behold.

4) How has volunteering with Grimm & Co helped you?

The children’s ability to see things differently has really helped me to think of other ways of seeing the world. It’s refreshing.

5) What’s a lesser known fact about you?

I once performed in a 4-night run of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. I was cast as The Clown, by dint of being Northern; nothing to do with my acting ability at all.

6) Why would you recommend volunteering at Grimm & Co to others?

Getting to work with the children is so uplifting.  That is the best reason.

7) What myths about volunteering would you like to debunk? (What misconceptions do you think people have about volunteering that you’d like to tell them aren’t true?)

I think one of the biggest myths is that you must have significant previous experience to be able to contribute.  The fact is that you learn so much by being involved that you will gain so much experience anyway. I don’t have many skills. Which is usually where that sentence ends…

The point is, by being involved you are contributing and you are therefore making a difference.

If you’d like to find out more about volunteering with Grimm & Co, click here.