My name is Mariah and I am 21 years old. I recently completed my degree in Drama and have a passion for directing and being involved in performance. Last summer I really wanted to use my time wisely and decided to volunteer. I wanted to use my skills and knowledge within drama and performance to create a piece of work with others.

I volunteered with NHSCT Base in Magherafelt, which I found out about through Mid Ulster Volunteer Centre. My role was linked with two other volunteers and the service users in order to create a performance piece for the Take 5 Well being Gala held in the Burnavon.

Volunteering really helped me to mature actually. I created new friendships, knowledge, skills, and better confidence within myself and also encouraged me to have confidence in the skills my degree was giving me. Also, the staff and service users encouraged me to push myself further each time we met without realising it.

Volunteering for The Base and helping with the performance was rewarding and challenging as we explored and pushed what we could do, rather than what couldn't be done. It was brilliant.

A specific challenge I noticed through volunteering was being able to cater for everyone's needs. However, this challenge was easily overcome as the process moved forward and we all learnt a bit more about each other.

Every day with the guys from The Base is memorable but there are several moments that were very special. The first was the second week of volunteering, we all had met the week before where the awkwardness and formalities had already been dealt with. The second week was just so much fun, there was a great atmosphere, plenty of laughs and we were all just chatting about what will we do, just like a bunch of friends.
 
For me, the first five minutes of every week we're extremely special because we all just felt so much joy to see everyone again after a long week and it was a great chance to catch up.

The most special memory for me was the night of the performance. Everyone waiting to go on and the buzz in the back room of the Burnavon was amazing. Then seeing everyone on stage performing and showing off all their hard work that had been putting in. But the icing on the cake was seeing the faces of the performers when they had finished their final part of the song and the audience were clapping and cheering. We all just wanted to do it over again.

If anyone was thinking about volunteering, I would say YES! YES! YES! Absolutely do it, some of the best memories of my life. 

​I spent 5 years living in Scotland, Australia, Canada and South Korea. My time in Seoul was spent teaching English which I thoroughly enjoyed although I’d say my favourite time away was spent living in Australia for 2 years. I’m also a DJ and I have a passion for music production.
 
I found out about volunteering through Heather form Disability Job Match. She has been guiding me back to work as I’ve spent many years battling and recovering from CFS/ME.
 
I volunteer for the Cookstown office of Mid Ulster Volunteer Centre. My main role is to work alongside Megan and making sure the volunteer and organisation records are kept up to date, and updating details on the database and any other admin duties that is needed.
 
It’s been great volunteering for the Volunteer Centre. I find it very rewarding to give my time and see the great sense of achievement that volunteering brings to people.
 
There have been a few small challenges that I’ve faced getting to know my role and making sure volunteer records are kept accurate. Megan is always there to keep me right and point me in the right direction.
 
For me, a special event that took place was the staff Christmas party held in the Sizzlin’ Smokehouse in Magherafelt. It was a chance for me to meet and get to know the other members of staff from the Magherafelt office.
 
I would definitely recommend volunteering to anyone. It’s a great chance to offer up your time and learn many new skills in the process. There’s a great sense of achievement as it’s very rewarding and it will be very positive on your CV.

As I sat down to write this, I was amazed to find that in some way or other I had been volunteering for the last 53 years.
 
When I was 19, I was appointed First Aid Convenor for the Inverclyde Battalion of The Boys’ Brigade.  Although, I never realised that over the years most of my free time has been volunteering. Looking back on things, volunteering was something you did for the good of the Community.
 
Some of the voluntary positions I have held are, Chairman West Tyrone Youth Council, Training Officer for the West Ulster District, The Boys’ Brigade, Captain 1st  Omagh Company, The Boys’ Brigade, Chairman Magherafelt Arts Trust, Secretary of the Sperrin Choir for 15 years, Chairman Cookstown Silver Band, Designated Officer for Child Protection Sperrin Kidz, Member of Board of Governors of two Grammar schools, being Designated Governor for Child Protection in one of the schools, Leader of the English Class at First Magherafelt where we teach English to those for whom English is not their first language and finally I am honoured to be a Trustee and Director of InVOLve (NI).
 
I have many happy memories of volunteering especially the outings we went on such as seeing some of the cast of Emmerdale at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum at Cultra.  Many a happy time we had from the time we left The Rainey School on a Saturday morning in a Chambers double decker bus for a day of fun, friendship and food.
 
Archie Thomson May 2020

Hello my name is Niamh, I am 18 years old and have just finished my A levels at Cookstown High School. I’ve been volunteering at The Base Cookstown since June 2019, initially I joined the Base for a week’s work experience but enjoyed it so much I signed up as a volunteer to continue over the summer.
 
I absolutely love volunteering with The Base it has been so rewarding to build a relationship with all of the service users and to watch them getting involved in the community. Especially for me, my confidence has grown and I have met so many people along the road. Every day I enter The Base I have such positive memories whether that be going on day trips or even something small, as walking to the shop for ice cream it really does put a smile on my face.
 
For anyone who was, like me looking for work experience or just wants to volunteer I would highly recommend The Base as you will always leave with a smile on your face.

​My name is Donna Moore and I started volunteering with the Mid Ulster Volunteer Centre and InVOLve House as a Volunteer Receptionist in December 2017.
 
I love my volunteering, it’s not just about answering phones and admin duties, it’s about meeting and greeting members of the public and dealing with general enquiries but guiding everyone in the right direction within the building.  I have met a lot of lovely people during my time volunteering and this role has helped my confidence grow, I am very thankful to have the pleasure to work alongside such a fabulous team.
 
Volunteering is a big part of my life; I am getting experience and skills I wouldn’t have had before and it’s always a learning curve for me.  My role suits me perfectly as I love meeting new people and helping them and it has become a part of my weekly routine.
 
I am always sure to be kept busy with not just my volunteering role but also everything that goes on in the building.  I work with a wide variety of people in the building we have all are lovely ladies in the Volunteer Centre office Barbara, Michele, Mairead and Natalie, Jane and Michael in Advice NI, Martin the counsellor for Achieve Wellbeing and the Base service users and staff.  The building is always busy with members attending the Carefully Yours project which is for those over 55’s and those attending meetings or training in the building. I have the privilege of chatting to all of these wonderful people.  I enjoy all of our chats everyone is so pleasant; they have all got to know me now which I think is lovely and I enjoy their company too and they have all made me feel so comfortable and part of this great workplace.   
 
Two years ago, I lost my dad, step mum and granny in a short space of time so I was off for a period of time.  I was so nervous about coming back again but everyone made me feel so at ease.  I have never met a more caring and compassionate bunch of people and I will be forever thankful, this meant everything to me.  You’ll never go wrong volunteering here; they are the best team of people to work alongside.   

​My name is Clare Gribben and I’ve been a volunteer with Mid Ulster Volunteer Centre since April 2018.  I was introduced to volunteering by my NHSCT Day Opportunities Co-ordinator. I loved the idea of volunteering as a receptionist for InVOLve House and the Volunteer Centre as I was already attending The Base in Magherafelt which is located upstairs in InVOLve House.
 
This has been a great opportunity for me, I have got to know a lot of lovely people here and I’m very happy and love my volunteering.  My role as a Volunteer Receptionist is great because I get to meet and greet a lot of people coming in and out of the building, I love helping to deal with their queries and chatting to them. 

I was happy to take this role on as I already knew a lot of people in the building and felt comfortable as I know the building inside out. The Volunteer Centre staff are great and very helpful and if I ever need anything, I know they will be happy to help me, I love learning new skills and challenging myself.
 
The benefit of volunteering for me is that I get to help others and meet new people, I feel this has helped my confidence grow as I never knew that I could do this, it’s all new to me but I am really enjoying it. I am working alongside a great team who are very supportive and understanding, if I am having an off day they are always there for me no matter what and I am so thankful for them.
 
I love working with everyone here, we all have a laugh and its good craic and everyone works as part of a team - what more could you want.  I have got to know Donna another volunteer on reception, she has made my time here easier, she supports me so well and looks after me and we have so much fun together, this is what volunteering is all about, do your work but having fun too.

​Hello my name is Oisin Campbell, I’m 18 years old and am currently studying Sports, Level 3 at the Northern Regional College. I am an active person that always likes being on the go and have a love for any type of sport new or old. In my spare time I like to go Running, Cycling, Gaelic Football, Hikes up the mountain and MMA. 
 
I found out about volunteering when the Volunteer Centre came to the college to talk about volunteering.  They explained how rewarding volunteering can be, how many people benefit from volunteers and to see if anyone would be interested helping out.  They also explained how it could help us gain future employment or help with applying to university.
 
I decided to register as a Millennium Volunteer which means I get recognised for my hours volunteering when I reach 50, 100 and 200hrs.  Volunteering is a very productive way to spend my free time as I’m learning and making a difference to the community. I have always found volunteering rewarding, fun and you meet great people along the way.
 
The first time I went to the Magherafelt Volunteer Centre I was asked what were my hobbies and interests.  They then give me a few suggestions for volunteering that I might be interested in. 

The first option was with the local Special Olympics Club - Magherafelt Marvels.  This was 2 years ago and it is still one of the best decisions I made to volunteer with them.  I coach some of the athletes and help with setting up the training sessions and coaching the sessions. It always is amazing to watch the athletes grow each session, see them enjoy sport and reach their full potential.  My role entails helping the athletes to complete the session.  Always encouraging them to try their best and if they don’t succeed the first time then to try again.  The Club has been very kind to me and has made me grow as a person. As a Special Olympics Volunteer, I have become more confident, patient, and developed my coaching skills.
 
As a volunteer with Special Olympics I was also given the opportunity to volunteer at the GAA Tyrone Fun Day in Cookstown.  It was great fun but was also educational for the kids involved as they learnt about healthy eating and the importance of drinking water. It taught me that as a coach we have the responsibility to teach the athlete about how to eat well and make good choices in life.
 
The second option the Volunteer Centre suggested was to volunteer with the Share Discovery Village, Enniskillen.  I had never heard of this opportunity before but they thought after chatting with me it would be an opportunity I would enjoy.  The Share Discovery Village is an amazing place, it is an outdoor activity centre with accommodation and camping facilities. They have all types of activities including art and crafts, climbing wall, pools, banana boating, kayaking, during my volunteering I have learnt a lot of new skills.
 
I have also volunteered with:
Desertmartin GAA under 8’s
I had studied the theory of coaching in sport studies and through my volunteering was able to use these skills and gain real life experience volunteering for my local football club helping with the Desertmartin GAA under 8’s team.  I play Gaelic football so this was well matched opportunity.  It was not too far away and I like coaching teams.  I always like new challenges and they were amazing kids to train as they wanted to do their best in each session and I love learning new coaching skills.
 
Peace Players.
They are an organisation that makes such a difference to the community. The Peace Players bring people together using sport. Their aim is to build a new foundation for the new generation, not forgetting the pass but to build a better future for kids.
 
County Sport in Magherafelt
This was an opportunity offered to me by the NRC including wheelchair hurling and Gaelic awareness event. During the wheel chair hurling and Gaelic event we volunteered to take part in raising awareness of the event. We went into wheelchairs and did one training session in wheelchairs. This was frustrating at the start but then fun at the end and demonstrated to us the struggles that wheelchair users face.
 
I would highly recommend volunteering as it gives you many opportunities allowing you to experience activities and meet amazing people.  It also helps you appreciate your own abilities and it is very satisfying to watch groups that you are involved with grow. I have found volunteering a very rewarding experience.