Mary: Youth Advice Centre VolunteerMary Carmicheal has been volunteering for over 6 months at the Youth Advice Centre. Hove YMCA's Youth Advice Centre in Hove runs drop-in sessions every weekday. The drop-in is a safe space for young people to receive impartial advice and information on a wide range of issues.
Interview with Mary Carmicheal
Haeji: What are you going to do today?
Mary: I’m going to my paid work at a travel company.
Haeji: What other things, if any, do you do with Hove YMCA?
Mary: Normally I help with school visits and also do regular hours with young people at the youth advice centre.
Haeji: How did you first get involved with Hove YMCA?
Mary: This is kind of job I want to do in the future so I contacted Lesley from the Youth Advice Centre and managed to get the volunteering work.
Haeji: What’s the best thing about volunteering?
Mary: Interacting with young people and helping young people. The results can be great.
Haeji: Is there anything you’ve found difficult or challenging about volunteering?
Mary: When young people find it hard to talk and I need to get the information without asking straight questions. And also when people get upset.
Haeji: What’s the most fun bit about volunteering?
Mary: Talking to great young people, they are great!
Haeji: What’s the most important thing you’ve learnt from volunteering?
Mary: Everyone has their own stories so never ever judge the young people before you know all the information. And never assume anything
Haeji: What are you looking forward to doing next?
Mary: Getting a job which is working with young people – so working with drugs/substance misuse, sexual health or homeless young people or counselling.
Haeji: Do you think you’ve gained any skills/learnt new things in any way? (Improved confidence, skills, etc)
Mary: We get training most week about all different issues about young people. So how to deal with people and handle problems. I’ve gained so many things, the training is really good!
Haeji: Do you have any advice/comments for someone who would like to do volunteering?
Mary: Just get stuck in and give it a go - you may like it you and do so many things.
Haeji: How would you sum up your volunteering experience in 3 words?
Mary: Fascinating , exciting , enjoyable
Interview with line manager, Lesley Pender
Haeji: What & where is the service you provide?
Lesley: YAC has been helping young people since 1995 and since opening has expanded the services on offer and its number of staff. The drop-in is one of the main ways that young people can access a range of services, not just at YAC, but services across the city.
Haeji: How long has the volunteer been working for your service?
Lesley: About 6 months
Haeji: What work does the volunteer do?
Lesley: Mary helps to run the drop-in service and so is involved in a variety of activities. This includes job searches with young people, discussing sexual health, issuing c-cards and condoms, condom demonstrations, pregnancy testing and referring to other agencies. She also helps with promotional work in schools, co-facilitating service user group and promoting service user involvement.
Haeji: How has the volunteer contributed to your service?
Lesley: Mary has been invaluable! She is reliable, organised, friendly, well liked by the young people and all staff! Mary is very capable of working with sensitive issues with young people which not all volunteers are. It takes some maturity and natural empathy to be able to work with some of the issues we see here. Mary has been to school visits with me, which would be impossible to do alone.
Haeji: What do you think the volunteer has gained/learnt from their experience? (Improved confidence, skills, etc)
Lesley: She has gained experience, valuable references for job applications and thorough training. Mary has grown in her confidence and developed her skills of dealing with difficult issues
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