Sam's Full Circle

Here I am again! It’s been a long time since I posted on this blog, but I wanted to give a quick update about what I’m doing now. My time as a Volunteer Intern in 2018 played a big role in developing my future career aspirations, and my desire to one day work in the charity sector. To be able to report back that I am now employed as a Volunteer Manager feels very poetic.

The charity I now work for is KEEN London - which supports primary school age children with disabilities and additional needs across Hackney, Wembley and Lambeth. We believe that we are the only charity in London that offers this safe space on a Saturday for children with disabilities free of charge, giving their families significant respite and supporting the children with their individual personal goals. Each child is paired with a ‘volunteer coach’ to support their needs on a 1:1 basis within the sessions. My job is to recruit the coaches and lead on the strategic/policy/IT side of how KEEN London supports its volunteers. 

I am also an elected Borough Councillor for the town of Egham which is where I now live. I have been a Councillor for three years and really enjoy helping other local residents with the problems that they are facing. Outside of work I am still volunteering myself as a Governor for a local primary school. 

The key aim of this update is to emphasise the value of volunteering, regardless of how you volunteer or what that looks like for you. The transferable skills that I gained and developed at The Bishop’s Palace have equipped me to deal with some of the challenges that I encounter in my professional life to this day, and they have made me stronger at encouraging people across London to take part in volunteering themselves. 

I’m also delighted that this blog, which I built during my internship, is still active, please keep an eye out for future posts from the interns of today…. Watch this space…..