I first heard about Teens Unite around three years ago. My daughter, Lydia, who attended Mill Hill School heard in an assembly that Teens Unite were looking for volunteers. On this occasion, it was to help at the charity’s annual Activity Stay held at the school.
I volunteered along with my two daughters. To be honest I was a little nervous and apprehensive, not knowing what l was going to encounter. We arrived in the afternoon, where we found everyone making pizzas. It only took a few moments to see that everything was going to be alright and I was reassured by the Teens Unite team.
We volunteered nearly every day for the next week and we were soon familiar to the teens. We became more confident in talking to them and they felt they could ask us for help. When the time came to leave, we genuinely felt sad saying goodbye.
I was then invited the following year and went along to see everyone during the karaoke evening. I could see a lot of the teens were both nervous and shy. I immediately suggested that we should sing together and that I'm rubbish, but, it's about having fun. Before you knew it, everyone was on their feet and singing.
The next year, Teens Unite introduced reunion breaks for those who had previously been on the Activity Stays, so that the teens could see each other once again. With great enthusiasm and excitement, I was looking forward to seeing some past friends from Teens Unite. I baked brownies and cookies and arrived in the evenings where I stayed and caught up with everyone and supported where needed.
Once again, the Activity Stay was jammed packed with amazing events that the teens took part in and loved. I could see they were forming great friendships and I felt very privileged to be a part of it.
This year I was invited as a volunteer right from the start. I felt this was much better as I immediately learnt everyone's names. As we had met right from the beginning, I could see how nervous and apprehensive some of the teens were and because of having the experience from past stays, I was able to talk to them, reassure them, help them and break the ice when there were silent moments.
I would tell them that everyone felt the same and by the end they were all going to become great friends, which they did and there were even tears of sadness on the last day.
The activities were sensational, from tie-dying to music workshops, martial arts, karaoke, art, an Apprentice Challenge, rafting and a sports day. The grand finale was the formal dinner where everyone had a chance to get dressed up, receive their awards and dance their last night away.
Volunteering for Teens Unite is a privilege and an honour and being able to bake cakes and brownies for the young people to indulge in during the evenings is a joy. I have made wonderful friends and memories with the teens and other volunteers.
Volunteering with Teens Unite is beneficial for both us and for you.
Find Out More
