Francesca, 22 years old

I've been a volunteer for various causes for the past 12 years and I have independently raised over £60,000 for local charities including Marie Curie Cancer Care, Claire House Children's Hospice, Nugent Care, Woodlands Hospice, Zoe's Place and Diabetes UK.
I am currently volunteering for Mencap Liverpool in a fundraising capacity, as well as volunteering for The Orchard, Bradbury Fields, The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, CAFOD Liverpool and due to start with Macmillan Cancer Support too. I have done office admin/data entry/bag packs/retail events/charity events/fundraising as well as sitting on fundraising committees.
I'm really enjoying my work at Mencap Liverpool as I volunteer in the office 8 hours a week and I also sometimes work with another volunteer who has a learning disability which has helped me improve my team work skills.
By volunteering I have gained more confidence in meeting new people and improved my communication skills. I would recommend it to anyone as you learn new skills, meet new people. You also get so much out of it as a person - just by giving a little back to society you feel as though you have done something great with your time. Also the charitable organisations are always genuinely grateful for the support you give them.