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Volunteering with disabilities
David Burroughs: "Volunteering has helped my self-confidence"
David Burroughs is 22 and has cerebral palsy. Here he talks about why he started volunteering and how he has used his disabilities to help others.
How did you find out about volunteering?
I found it very difficult as a disabled person to get a job when I completed my ICT computing course at college so I went on to the Prince's Trust 12-week personal development course. Part of the programme incorporated a three-week period where we had to decorate a sport centre for young people. At the end of the programme my team leader introduced me to Millennium Volunteers (MV).
When I completed the Prince's Trust course I sat down with my MV Co-ordinator and discussed what to do next, as I was really interested in carrying on with volunteering and building on the platform that it had already given me.
I decided that, because I was disabled and therefore knew a lot about disability, I should go and work with young disabled people. I attended a special needs primary school and I wanted to try to help the children go a tiny way to what I have achieved.
My co-ordinator suggested Watergate School, a special needs school for children aged 3-11 years with profound and multiple disabilities. It was something that I really wanted to do and it was local and easy to get to. I met with the volunteer co-ordinator at the school who was very welcoming and I started working there three days a week.
What type of work have you done as a volunteer?
My first role as a volunteer was painting a youth centre as part of my Prince's Trust course. Obviously being in a chair restricted me a little to just painting. This is why I think volunteer managers sometimes don't give disabled people a chance; because depending on the job, we can be a bit restricted in what we can physically do.
But disabled people can be taken on in an advisory capacity and we can advise non-disabled people about the best ways of completing the job; we may not have the physical strength but we have the brains!
My present volunteering role is giving time to my own project called 'The Disabled Interactive Social Club. It's a social club for young physically disabled people in my area who are aged 18-30 and it will run different social activities including trips to the cinema and bowling.
I also give my time to Scope when required; I'm currently working on a tool kit for volunteer managers.
What's the most interesting thing you've done as a volunteer?
Volunteering at Watergate special needs school where my duties included helping the children with their reading and writing during lesson time. This was good because it taught me how to interact with the children and it gave me confidence and showed me that I can do something regardless of my disability.
What's the most difficult thing you have done as a volunteer?
Trying to set up my own organisation, and incorporating all the activities has been difficult. You have to go through stages like setting up management committees and drawing up governing rules.
Have you had any bad experiences as a volunteer?
Not as a volunteer, but I have experienced work experience in an office and people's ignorance and lack of understanding towards disabilities is incredible.
What do you like most about volunteering?
In my experience of volunteering you're giving your time and effort to a worthy cause and I get huge satisfaction at the end of the day that I have given my time and helped someone out.
How has becoming a volunteer changed your life?
Now I have the opportunity to give people who are in a similar situation to me help and advice on their disability. It has also helped my self confidence and allowed me to make new friends, and I have learned a lot of new skills.
As a disabled person, if you are not doing anything for a period of time you become very isolated, so volunteering was a way of keeping myself busy as well as trying to help other young people in a similar situation to myself and showing the non-disabled community that I can do exactly what they can do; regardless of my disability.
What advice would you give a young disabled person who was thinking about becoming a volunteer?
I would say find something that you are good at, be confident, positive and friendly and most of all, enjoy yourself.
About the interviewer
Murtaza Merali Dewji is a graduate of the University of Westminster where he read BSC Hons Computing. He suffers from Spastic Hereditary Paraplesis with Essential Tremor.
This interview was part of a presentation given at the Step Up! Event held in March 2006, which was organised by Skill to promote volunteering and young disabled volunteers. To read and listen to more interviews carried out by the other young disabled volunteers, visit the Skill website.
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