Hackney Playbus Volunteer, Malgorzata’s Story
Getting back into employment can be difficult after a long break and Mal felt this difficulty after spending some time on maternity leave. VCH supported Mal into volunteering which helped Mal build her confidence, gain skills and experience all whilst supporting Hackney Playbus to extend its reach of play opportunities and support to children and families who need it the most. Two years later, Mal has successfully found paid employment
“I previously worked for a recruitment agency for 7 years, dealing with office administration, invoicing and a range of other responsibilities. I then became pregnant and went on maternity leave. When my daughter was 2 she was able to begin nursery and I decided that I wanted to leave the house and do something productive that involved having contact with others.”
“The best thing that came out of Volunteering with Hackney Playbus was meeting different people and knowing you are doing something that helps others. I got a real confidence boost and it was great. Vanessa always offered me help and was there to support me. One of the most rewarding parts of my time volunteering was the training I did with Ark which involved working with children and young people with disabilities at leisure centres.”
“Volunteering has helped me show employers that I do go out and work; I don’t just wait for things to happen. The tasks I carried out equipped me with a range of skills that I can now apply to my future job roles. Now I can start shaping my life to suit me and my daughter Isabella.”
“I would recommend Volunteer Centre Hackney as you have a range of different volunteering opportunities and it was nice and the database was easy to navigate.”
If you are interested in volunteering you can register and search our database of volunteering opportunities across Hackney click here.
If you would like support with finding work then you can find out more about Aim Higher and the Step-Up Project