With the help of our Improving Lives course, participants find opportunities to increase their confidence by sampling  volunteering taster sessions. 

Many participants from the course have gone on to volunteer with a variety of charitable organisations.   One participant, Belinda, is in the process of starting a volunteer role as a receptionist at Coventry Refugee Centre. We were delighted to hear Belinda’s good news. Here she shares how the course has created a positive impact for her life:  

“[The] Improving lives course has been of great help to me as I have had more confidence in myself after learning the various ways of applying for a job, creating a CV, [and] going in for an interview … the course has really changed my mindset from pessimism to optimism.”

She added:

“I also got to visit places like Clothing Coventry, litter picking in Alderman’s Industrial Estate, Albany theatre – just to name a few. I will be forever be grateful – thank you all!”  

Our Improving Lives Lead Officer (GIC) Tia Bhayat, explains in more detail how the course works:

“Participants take part in workshops designed to enhance their knowledge of volunteering and we explore available community activities on VAC’s community engagement platform,  Get Involved Coventry. We encourage participants to participate in team-building exercises where they learn how to apply their skills to help them access both volunteering and employability options.”

This month, as part of the course, participants volunteered at Clothing Coventry (pictured above centre), where they worked together to sort clothes into different categories. These items were then distributed to members of the public during drop-in sessions and events.

As the course continued, participants went onto expand their engagement with community organisations across Coventry:  they visited Albany Theatre, Earlsdon Park Village care home (pictured above, right) and volunteered at the Carriers of Hope food hub (the social supermarket that supports migrants and refugees).

As part of Volunteers’ Week,  eleven of the  Improving Lives participants rolled up their sleeves to join a Community Clean-Up event at Alderman’s Green Industrial Estate in Potters Green (pictured top left and bottom left). They joined other volunteers to collect  fourteen bags of rubbish, resulting in the area which was previously bogged down by litter looking much better. 

The Improving Lives course runs frequently throughout the year – many participants from the course have since gone on to make meaningful connections with community organisations and are actively volunteering with a variety of charitable organisations. 

Keep an eye on our Volunteer Stories (see News) to read their stories!