Simon’s Story- Volunteer, C.A.R.E

“I found out about CARE through the local Job Centre when I was looking for work, they suggested accessing support from local community organisations too which helped me to build my confidence and explore volunteering opportunities. This included CARE.

That was about five years ago now. I learnt a lot at CARE including woodcraft, how to grow fruit and veg and developed many personal skills- things at the time I wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to do.

I enjoyed interacting with people, and I realised how important being able to help others was to me. This experience with CARE became a pathway to improving my life. I attended a talk locally to find out more about how to care for people in the community and felt confident that I had the skills that were required. I know now I wouldn’t have had the confidence to apply for these jobs without the experience I’d gained at CARE.

I’ve been working as a Support Worker now for two and a half years and I really enjoy it. I still volunteer at CARE every couple of weeks to keep in touch with the friends I’ve made there. A lot of other people return and stay in touch too and I’ll keep coming back for as long as I can. It’s a calming place where they take time to get to know you, help support your wellbeing, skills and your next steps. Taking the first step into something like this is always the hardest thing- I would definitely encourage other people to come along and try it.”