
My name is Leanne Donaghy and I am 24 years old. I got involved in volunteering when I turned 16 in February 2002. My first volunteer role was in Save the Children charity shop in Bangor. I volunteered there for six years in total. Throughout my time there I gained a lot of experience.
Later on that year I started an NVQ in retail which meant I was placed in another charity shop (Ulster Cancer Foundation). The shops were located in Bangor, Newtownards, Lisburn Road and Finaghy. I found the experience helped me with the coursework which was required for my NVQ. This lasted until May 2005.
After this I began volunteering in Oxfam Main Street Bangor and now I am in my fourth year. My duties include working as a cashier and assisting the customers. My colleagues are mostly senior citizens which involves building good relationships with them.
Also I have volunteered in Clic Sargent for 2 years but due to the number of new courses I have taken on I decided to leave.
Through a volunteer in Save The Children I was advised about the Millennium Volunteer Programme available through Volunteer Now in the Bangor office (previously known as VSB). Through the Millennium Volunteers Programme I became acquainted with other volunteers and attended relevant courses. Some of us went to Elmwood Hall to receive our 200 hours award of excellence from Catríona Ruane I also achieved my 50 and 100 hours certificate. Young people appreciate the fact that their work has been recognised in this way.
After I completed the Millennium Volunteer Programme I was advised that Volunteer Now's Shaftesbury Square Office had another programme for my age group called Young Citizens In Action. Through this I have been involved in lot of projects such as volunteer fairs at Queen's and the Mela festival. I was Editor of the most recent Action magazine and also help with the new website.
I am very pleased with all the help and support I have received from Volunteer Now.
The Millennium Volunteer Programme definitely influenced me in terms of my career and the skills I have learnt. I would definitely encourage young people nowadays to get involved in the Programme.
I hope to continue volunteering with Young Citizens in Action and Oxfam in the future. I intend to carry on with IT courses and I am hopefully doing essential skills in September.