If you think students spend all their spare time avoiding studying, going out with their mates and having a good time then you'd be right. Well our student bloggers do anyway. While they assure us they don't slack on the study, they've got a lot to answer for when it comes to enjoying themselves while volunteering.

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Monday Apr 30, 2007

Busy busy busy !

hi all - sorry for the long gap between my last blog i have been super super busy recently.

The first night teaching child development with teh cadets went really well, as always there was lots to cathc up on from the easter holiday and then the excitimnet of the new courses about to begin. I will be teaching half of the cadets and then alll those over 14 will be doing drug awareness, both proving to be really popular and so usful to all young people growing up today.

It is going to be my last week at the nursery soon because i have to stop as i have lots of exams soon - been busily revsing for them all. I'm really sad because i don't want to leave, everyone made me feel so welcome and the children are so sweet but after 10 weeks it is time to leave. sob sob

On the other hand, i have almost compeleted my 200hours for Millenium Volunters which will be really good in helping me to gain recognition for my volunteering. All of these hours are from the nursery i have been going to which is really good. I am however starting a new role at school, because all the Yr13 are leaving i have volunteered to become a yr7 mentor. This will be so much fun i think, meeting the younger pupils properly and helping them with their schoolwork and any other problems they are having. It will also prove to be excellent experience for the psychology course i want to do next year.

I hope everyone is well and all those with exams are not as stressed about them as i am.
take care, love
Sammy x x

Posted by Sammy ( 4:48 PM )
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Hello from Liverpool

Hi, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, my name is Tom Whelligan-Fell, Welly to all my mates, I am a second year geographer from the University of Liverpool. I was born in the Middle of Liverpool about 5 minutes walk from my current house but was bought up on the other side of the Mersey in the beautiful Wirral where I lived for 18 years until moving back to Liverpool.

My family has always encouraged involvement in the local community and my parents are both passionate about volunteering (my parents met through volunteering) so you can say it is in my blood. My first experience of volunteering actively was when I was part of the West Kirby Physically Handicapped Able Bodied (PHAB) club, this was one of the most rewarding experiences that I had, I was able to volunteer around my studies and it was just down the road. I met some of the most inspiring people I know, people who had come through so much and where flying high. After a year at PHAB I was appointed onto the Committee this was my first experience of organizing projects and events. During my time at school I took part in a number of other volunteering activities, I was a reading Mentor, aiding lower year pupils with reading difficulties. Volunteering through sport was a fantastic personal development opportunity and the chance to coach my favorite sport. I had been the Captain of Hoylake St Catherines Badminton 1st team and gained accreditation to coach badminton. I coached badminton for 2 years I loved every second of it, getting out and playing a sport I loved while teaching aspiring badminton players the skills I had picked up over the years.

Leaving for Liverpool University was a massive jump. I had come from a very close group of friends and found it hard to adjust to life in halls originally, a lot of jocks and bimbo’s not the people I would normally chose to mix with. During freshers week I signed up with the Liverpool Student Community Action, this is the Volunteer group within the Guild of Students (SU). I went along to the first meeting with a tiny bit of apprehension, like I did with everything in freshers week. However when I entered the office I was made to feel so welcome. Within a week they had be signed up as a trustee of the LSCA, that is where the fun really began. I love my volunteering because I love the atmosphere, the people I work with and the challenges that arise all the time. The volunteering got me through my first year of university and has allowed me to mix with fantastic people. They are not only people I work with but they are my friends and the people who I socialise with outside of Uni.

This is just a bit about myself but I will continue to keep writing, next year will be a really interesting year for me with lots of changes happening.

Love Tom x

Posted by Tom ( 2:52 PM )
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Sunday Apr 08, 2007

Easter !!

Happy Easter ! hope the Easter bunny brought everyone lots of yummy Easter eggs and that you’re not feeling too sick from eating them in just one day ! :P

I have been working like mad this past weekend with work doing the big push for the bank holiday sales – but it’s double pay so all is well. It does mean that I am so tired now and just want to sleep though. I’m not going to visit my little nursery kiddies or my cadets for 2 weeks now because of the easter break. But that does not mean I don’t still have loads to do.

Next term I am teaching a course at cadets, Child Development, which lots of them seem very excited about. I’m not sure they’ll be so excited when the subjects of nappies and screaming come up, I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. This does mean that 6 weeks of evenings need to be planned – remembering I need to think diversity – keeping 15 cadets interested for an hour and a half can be kinda difficult sometimes especially when it is such a diverse group.

I last saw the nursery children on wednesday, when they were all very excited about the end of term and the prospect of the easter bunny visiting them with chocolate surprises! it was sweet to watch but sometimes difficult to control them all - when you have 20 three year olds running round singing it is hard to get them to put their coats on and line up at the door - trust me.

Have a wicked easter and don’t eat too much chocolate at once

love Sammy x  

Posted by Sammy ( 7:09 PM )
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