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.

All | Olivia | Sammy | Ashley | Tom | TomG | Harry

Monday Apr 30, 2007

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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