• Leanne Donaghy

    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. (read more)

  • Joanna's Story

    Joanna Jones, 32 from Lisburn has been a volunteer with Guide Dogs for over four years ever since she completed a tandem sky dive for the charity and wanted to get more involved. (read more )

  • I would recommend volunteering to anybody!

    When I first started volunteering with CVNI I had no interest in conservation work, I didn't even want to get my hands dirty, but that all changed. I have gained qualifications I didn't think I would get and I have never looked back and I would recommend volunteering to anybody. (read more )

  • The Wonderful World of Volunteering

    I read an ad in the newspaper and it intrigued me. Little did I know just what I was entering into.... the wonderful world of volunteering.... a year that was going to give me direction, confidence, where I would meet lots of amazing people and best of all, have plenty of fun and laughter along the way (read more)

  • Make New Friends Whilst Helping a Worthwhile Cause

    Mount Stewart House is a National Trust property near Newtownards. The National Trust relies on the support of volunteers to maintain some of their best-loved sites and buildings as well as some of their 'hidden gems' (read more )

  • Rachael Sewell

    Rachael Sewell, 21, from Belfast has been a volunteer with Mencap's Shout Out Self-Advocacy Group for the past four years. Shout Out is about young people having the right to shout out and develop their self-advocacy skills and take part in consultations, campaigns and workshops. (read more)

  • Cathy Gallagher

    I was brought up in a 'volunteering' family where my mum, dad and other relatives were all heavily involved in our local club. That was probably my 'grounding' in volunteerism. (read more)

  • Catch the Volunteering Bug!

    Before I went away I never really did any volunteering at all, I always thought that there were other people out there who could do it. But I have now learnt that it is everyone's responsibility to get involved in some way. (read more)

  • Overseas Volunteer Finds Magic Volunteering

    It's in Northern Ireland where I have felt most at home and where I've experienced like nowhere else an overwhelming understanding that we are in fact able to change things if we all work together with one goal in mind: helping others. (read more)

  • Millennium Volunteer Gains Career Insight

    Rachel Moore is a student at Lumen Christi College and has been volunteering at Altnagelvin Hospital since October, as part of the Millennium Volunteers programme, which recognises sustained commitment to volunteering. (read more)

Rachael Sewell

Rachael Sewell.sml

Rachael Sewell, 21, from Belfast has been a volunteer with Mencap's Shout Out Self-Advocacy Group for the past four years. Shout Out is about young people having the right to shout out and develop their self-advocacy skills and take part in consultations, campaigns and workshops. Whilst doing these activities the group have fun, go to different places and meet new people all over NI.

Rachael said, "I heard about the Shout Out group from one of my friends at tech. I joined the group to get me out of the house, meet new people, find out what it was all about and because I'm not afraid to speak my own mind. I enjoy going places I've never been before, having a good laugh and a bit of craic and I've met a lot of good friends over the years that I have been there! I've learnt a lot from Shout Out, I don't even know where to start!"

Rachael is registered with the Millennium Volunteers Programme which promotes and recognises sustained volunteering among young people aged 16 to 24. Rachael has already received her certificate recognising 50 and 100 hours volunteering and is on her way to reaching her 200 Hour Nationally Recognised Award of Excellence.

Through her volunteering Rachael has taken part in many exciting activities! "I have been going to Stormont and meeting MLAs about what they need to do for people with a learning disability, how people with a learning disability should have the right to vote, the Bill of Rights for NI and things like bullying and keeping safe from people taking advantage of people with a learning disability".

One of the issues that the group has faced is getting turned away from nightclubs because of their learning disabilities. The group decided to have a nightclub for people from all over NI with learning disabilities to come for a night out.
"We designed the club night and made the decorations. We all did different jobs and really enjoyed ourselves!"

As part of the Shout Out group, Rachael has received training to enable her to train her peers. "I am trained to deliver training in how to keep yourself healthy. We had a 'Shout It Out' conference last October. I did the workshop on Health Awareness as I knew all about it".

Rachael really enjoys being a member of the Shout Out group. "This is a good thing to be into because you have the right to talk about issues, meet new friends and go out to have fun!"

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