As many of you know 2005 was the year of the volunteer and for some people this may mean helping out at the scouts jumble sale or helping with a street collection for one good cause or another.
I had for many years been involved with many different projects from teaching IT skills to homeless teenagers, taking the physically and mentally handicapped to Lourdes , and more recently running a club for the elderly. Any one that volunteers with the elderly will tell you that the time commitment can be rather large and that's fine if you are semi-retired, unemployed or retired yourself.
When I started my own business CC Designs my focus had to change slightly because I no longer had a vast amount of time to give up at the weekends or evenings because anyone that runs their own business will tell you that it's a big time commitment. Yet there is something in my makeup that tells me that I should give a little something back to say thank you for the gifts I have received in my life, be those gifts friends, income or happiness in life.
I am already a volunteer with the Terrance Higgins Trust helping with admin, design, and general computer work. I had however felt as though I wanted to touch base again with my educational background having taught in various private schools over the years.
It was then that I discovered the EBP programme via the Year of the Volunteer website. I read the description of what a business mentor was all about and I thought why not. While it's true that CC Designs is a young business I still qualified to be a mentor based on my career history to date.
I already had my CRB check (Criminal Records Bureau), which is required when working with school pupils, done for a former job so I was advanced to the mentor training. This was a day's commitment to be trained in the art of dealing with teenagers. In truth all that is required is a good dose of common sense because if you are not sure of anything there are the staff at EBP or the school to talk to. Last June I was assigned to a fifteen year old pupil at a local school in Woking . We had our first meeting and then three meetings before the end of term.
The real work started in the Christmas term. There were of course nerves on both sides because for the pupil it's the first time he had to deal with an adult other than his parents or teachers. For me I had to fight the old teachers role because my job was to listen to what he had to say and encourage him to be the best possible person he can be.
Let me stress that the pupils taking part in this programme are doing so on their own free will and are not badly behaved or less academically gifted than any other pupil within a given school. In fact the issues that they face may differ from pupil to pupil. Some may have confidence issues or simply cannot manage time well enough to keep on top of course work or homework.
In some cases they may not feel as though anyone really listens to what they have to say. There is a big difference in having someone to listen and understand what they say rather than having some just to chat to. Really being able to listen to the worries of a fifteen-year is much harder than it seems because the temptation is always there to want to solve the problem. In some cases just listening and understanding helps the healing process.
The year for me has rocketed by so quickly and within a matter of two months my mentee will be sitting his exams ready for his next step in his development. For me it has been a pleasure and a joy watching this young man develop on so many levels. I adore seeing his questioning skills get better and better each time we meet. I love seeing him as a person relax into who he his growing into. It has been a great honour having him share his thoughts with me and expressing his concerns about his future.
I have seen him grown mentally, physically and psychologically. It has been terribly exciting to be allowed to be part of that growth. It's my hope that by sharing time with him he'll see that life is what you make it and you have to put some work into life to get its rewards. We have both shared with each other and it is in this structured sharing that we have both grown in this programme. There is no bigger buzz in life than knowing that you have left an impression on that person that they will always remember and think of you fondly when they recall that experience in years to come.
Time is a gift more valuable than gold or any other precious metal or gemstone. Time is a gift that once it's given you can never get back those hours out of your life. They have gone forever. Equally it must also be remembered that he too has given his gift of time in getting to know you as well listening to your advice and counsel he has shared his deepest thoughts with you as a person and that it something really special.
So dear reader, if my words have inspired you then please follow the links from these pages to the EBP site because feeling enriched about yourself is something that we all need from time to time and I promise you that this experience will be the most fulfilling experience that you'll ever likely have in the real world. If you want to feel enriched about yourself and enrich a young mind then volunteer to become a mentor. Check out their website EBP
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